Satans Temptations in Three Parts
Whosoever shall impartially compare the Rites, Customs, Usages and Garbs of Popery, with those of Paganism, will, to his admiration, find such an exact agreement and consonancy, that he must necessarily conclude that either Paganism imitated Popery, or Popery imitated Paganism; but the latter is true, and that these corruptions in Religion by Popery came in by a designment of conforming Christianity to Heathenism, (though it may be upon pious intentions at first) is no difficult thing to evince; for (besides that the Rites of Paganism were more ancient, and so could not be borrowed from Popery which came long after) the Scripture did foretell a great defection from Truth, which should be in the last days, and this under a profession of Religion; and the things particularized, are such, as show that the defection should carry an imitation of Paganism; for no less seems to be signified by 1 Tim. 4. 1. The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils; that is, as Mr. Mede (whose interpretation I follow) doth prove, Doctrines concerning Devils or Daemons (as in Heb. 6. 2. we have the phrase of Doctrines of Baptisms, which must needs signify Doctrines concerning Baptisms) the Gentile Theology of Daemons is the thing which Paul prophesies should be introduced into Christianity. How clearly this relates to Popery may be evident to any that doth not willfully blind himself by prejudice. Their Doctrine of Daemons was this: they supposed two sorts of God's, supreme and inferior; the supreme they supposed did dwell in the Heavenly Lights, Sun, Moon, and Stars, without change of place; these they judged were so sublime and pure, that they might not be profaned with the approach of earthly things, and that immediate approaches to them were derogatory to their Sovereignty. The inferior order of God's they imagined were of a middle sort, betwixt the supreme Beings and Men, as participating of both: these they called Mediators and Agents, and supposed their business was to carry up Men's Prayers to God, and to bring down Blessings from God upon Men; these were in Scripture called Baalim, and by the Greeks Daemons: to this purpose Austin and others speak.
Now these Daemons, they supposed, were the souls of dead Men that had been more than ordinarily famous in their generation. Thus Ninus made an Image to his Father Belus after he was dead, and caused him to be worshipped. Hermes confesseth that Aesculapius Grand-father to Asclepius, and Mercury his own Grand-father, were worshipped as God's of this order. Abundance of instances I might produce to this purpose; but to go on, these Daemons, because to them was committed the care of Terrestrial affairs, (as Celsus argues against Origen,) and because of the help and advantage that Men might receive from them, they supposed it gratitude and duty to worship them, and this worship they performed at their Images Sepulchers and Relics. To this purpose Plutareb tells us of Theseus his Bones, and Plato of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Shrines of their Daemons.
How evident is it that the Papists in their Doctrine and Practice about the Invocation of Saints and Angels, have writ after this Copy, and that they are the Men that have introduced this Doctrine of Daemons, the thing itself declares without further evidence? Had the Heathens their dead Hero's for Agents 'twixt the supreme God's and Men? so have the Papists their dead Saints to offer up their Prayers. Did the Heathen expect more particular aids from some of these Daemons in several cases than from others? so do the Papists: instead of Diana for Women in labor, and Aesculapius for the diseased, they have their St. Margaret and St. Mary for Travelling; Sebastian and Roch against the Pestilence; Apollonia against the Toothach; St. Nicholas against Tempests, &c. Did the Heathen pray to these Daemons for their aid? so do the Papists to their Saints, as their Breviaries, Rosaries, and Ladies Psalters testify. Had the Heathen their Feasts, their Statas ferias to their Daemons? so have the Papists. Had they their Februalia & Proserpinilia with Torches and Lights? so have the Papists their Candlemas with Lights. Did the Heathen erect Images and Pillars, or keep the Ashes and Shrines of their Daemons? so do the Papists: the one had Processions and Adorations, so have the other; and a great many more things there are wherein Popery keeps a correspondence with Heathenism. To this purpose you may read enough in Monsieur de Croy, of the three Conformities.
To make it yet more clear that the corruptions in Religion by Popery came in by the design of suiting Christian Religion to Paganism, I shall in a testimony or two show you that they professedly avouched the design. Gregory the Great writes chidingly to Serenus Bishop of Marseilles (who it seems was no forward Man in this matter) to this purpose, Thou shouldest have considered that thou didst converse chiefly with the Gentiles, to whom Pictures are instead of Reading, to the end that no offense be given them under color of lawful zeal wherewith thou art not cunningly endued. And in another Epistle to Mellitus, he adviseth, That the Honors and Offerings which the Heathens gave to their Daemons, should be transferred to the Martyrs, and their Relickes, and gives this reason for it, it is impossible (saith he) to cut off all at once from stubborn minds. Eusebius also endeavors to persuade to Christianity by this Argument, that the Christians custom of honoring the memories of the Martyrs, and solemnly assembling at their Sepulchers, did agree with the custom of the Gentiles of doing the like honor to their Daemons, and having mentioned what Hesiod speaks, concerning Plato 's Opinion, that their Champions became Daemons after death, Helpers and Protectors of Men; for which cause they were worshipped at their Sepulchers as God; he adds to this purpose, that if these honors had been given to the Favorites of God, and Champions of true Religion, it had been well enough: and for this shows the example and custom of Christians then to go to the Tombs of Martyrs, there to pray in honor of their blessed Spirits. And although at first they might be more modest in honoring the Martyrs than now they are, according to that of Austin, These Observances at the Tombs of Martyrs (saith he) are only Ornaments of their Memories, not Sacrifices to them as to God's. Yet this soon slid into greater Abuse, insomuch that Lud. Vives, in his Notes on that Chapter, blames those of his own time for worshipping Saints as God's, and tells us he cannot see the Difference betwixt the Opinion concerning Saints (as generally practiced) and that of the Heathens concerning their God's. I might add the positive acknowledgment of Beatus Rhenanus, Jacobus de Voragine, concerning the burning of Candles to the Virgin Mary, which Custom they confessed was borrowed from the Heathens, with a respect to the frowardness of Paganism, and a design not to exasperate them, that they might gain them.
I might also show, that the Mischeif of this Design, of accomodating Truth to a compliance with different Parties, hath not only shewn itself in introducing strange Actions and Ceremonies; but hath also discovered itself in leavening Men's Judgments in reference to Opinion. Calvin conjectures that those confident Assertions of the Powers of Nature, were first occasioned by an over- officious willingness to reconcile the Doctrine of the Scripture with the Opinions of Philosophy; and that Men, being unwilling to run the hazard of the Scorn which they might meet with in contradicting the general received Principles of Philosophers, were willing to form the Doctrine of Truth relating to Human Ability accordingly. Abundance of Instances of this kind may be given. Whence came the Doctrine of Purgatory, but from hence? 'It is but Plato 's Philosophy Christianized by the Roman Synagouge. He divided all Men into three Ranks; the Virtuous, who are placed by him in the Elysian Feilds; the desperate Ungodly, these he adjudgeth to everlasting Fire; and a third sort, betwixt the perfectly Virtuous and he desperately Wicked, he sendeth to Acheron, to be purged by Punishment. All this Eusebius makes mention of at large. That the Papists derived their Purgatory from hence, is generally affirmed by Protestants, nay not only in these Cases, but in very many more, Corruptions have entered into Christianity, by an over eager endeavor to make the Doctrine of the Scriptures to run even with the Sayings and Assertions of the Schools of Philosophers; a thing complained of old by Tertullian, who plainly affirmed the Philosophers to be the Patriarchs of the Heretics. To which agrees that Observation of Dr. Owen, That those who either apologized for Christians, or refuted the Objections of the Heathens against Christianity, frequently cited the Opinions or Sentences of the Philosophers, and accommodated them to their purpose, that so they might beget in their Adversaries more friendly Perswasions towards the Christian Religion, by evidencing, that the Mysteries thereof were not absurd, nor dissonant from Reason, seeing they might be justified by the Sayings of their own Philosophers. And here was laid, in this Design and its Prosecution, (and surely it pleased its Undertakers not a little) the Foundation of that Evil which Religion hath since groaned under, that Men made bold with the tremendous Mysteries of Christianity, to accommodate them unwarily to the Notions of the Gentiles. And this the Apostle Paul foresaw in that Caution he gave Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any Man spoil you through Philosophy, and vain Deceit, after the Tradition of Men, after the Rudiments of the World, and not after Christ. Certainly the Snare is neither unusual, nor weak, where the Caution is so serious. 'It is a thing naturally pleasing, to be the Inventer of any new thing, or to make new Discoveries in Religion, to raise new Hypotheses, or to adventure in unbeaten Paths, for a Reconcilement of Religion to any Notion, or Practice, famous for its Antiquity, or pretence to Beauty and Decency. Men hug themselves when they can make several things to hit right, and an exact suiting of Parallels is instead of Demonstration. By this foolish delight the Devil makes Men bold to make Essays; and what doth answer their humor, passeth currant for undoubted Truth.
5. He doth sometime blind the Understanding, by working up the Affections to such an earnest Opposition to some Error, that in a forward haste they cast the Mind upon a contrary Extreme: so that through an hasty violent avoidance of one Error, they are cast upon a contrary, and (it may be) as dangerous as that they fly from. And this the Devil doth with great ease, having the plausible pretence of Zeal, and Care to Truth, wherein the Affections being highly engaged, the Mind in a careless Confidence doth easily overshoot the Truth, (which commonly lies in the middle) and thinks it doth well enough, if it gives the greatest Contradiction to the Error now to be abominated. Men in this Case, having their eyes only fixed upon what they would avoid, consider not so much whither they are going, as from what they go. So that seeking (as Men in a fright) to avoid the Pit that is before them, they run backward into another behind them.
This is such a noted Stratagem of Satan, that all Men take notice of it the general, though all Men do not improve the Discovery for their own particular Caution. The wisest of Men are often so befooled by their violent resistance of an Untruth, that they readily overshoot themselves and miss the Mark. The Fathers in the heat of dispute said many things so inconveniently, that those who come after, do see and lament these hasty Oversights; and have no other way to salve their Credit, but by giving this Observation in excuse for them. And it may be observed that some Errors which have risen from this Root at first, have so strongly fixed themselves, that they have grown up to the great annoyance of the Truth; while the contrary Errors that did occasion them are forgotten, and their memories are perished. I shall but instance in one instead of many, and that shall be Arianism; how sadly prevalent that hath been in its time, all Men know that know anything of Church History; the Christian World once groaned under it. But that which gave the first occasion to Arius to fix himself in that Error, was the Doctrine of Alexander, who discoursing of the Unity in the Trinity too nicely, seemed to justify the Error of Sabellius, who had taught (as also Noetus before) that there was but one Person in the Trinity, called by divers Names of Father, Son, and Spirit, according to different occasions; the Trinity (according to his Doctrine) being not of Persons, but of Names and Functions. While Arius was dissatisfied with this account of the Trinity, he ran to a contrary Extreme; and that he might give the highest proof of a Trinity of Persons, he affirmed that Jesus Christ had a beginning, and that there was a time when he was not, &c. Thus Socrates speaks of the Rise of that Heresy.
We might further follow the footsteps of this Device, and trace it in most Opinions; where we might find the humor of running to a contrary Extreme, hath still either set up a contrary Error, or at least leavened the Truth with harsh and unjustifiable Expressions and Explanations. The Disputes betwixt Faith and Works, have been thus occasioned and aggravated. Some speak so of Faith, as if they slighted Works; others so urge a necessity of Works, as if they intended to make Faith useless. Some talk of Grace to an utter Contempt of Morality; others on the contrary magnify Morality to the annihilating of Grace. Some in their practice acquiesce in the outward Performance of Ordinances: if they pray or receive the Sacraments, (though never so formally) they are at peace, supposing they have done all that is required; others observing the Mistake, and knowing that God looks more to the performance of the Soul and Spirit, than to the Act of the Body, upon a pretence of worshipping God in Spirit, throw off the observation of his Ordinances altogether. Neither is there anything that doth more generally and apparently undo us in the present Dissensions, (as many have complained) than Men's violent Over-doing, and running to contrary Extremes.
6. Satan makes use of Rewards, or Punishments, on the one hand to bribe, or on the other to force the Affections, and they being strongly possessed, easily prevail with the Understanding to give Sentence accordingly. Men are soon persuaded to take that for Truth which they see will be advantageous to them. Some Men indeed take up with a Profession of Truth, which yet their Hearts approve not; but the Advantages they have by their Profession, do silence their dissatisfactions; these are said to use the Profession of Truth as a Cloak of Covetousness, 2 Thes. 2. 5. But others go further, and are really brought to an Approbation of that Doctrine or Way that makes most for their Profit, their Minds being really corrupted by a self-seeking Principle; they persuade themselves, (where there is any Contest about Doctrines) that that Doctrine is true which is gainful, and will accordingly dispute for it. Hence that Expression in 1 Tim. 6. 5. supposing that Gain is Godliness.
To this may be added, that the Affections are quickly sensible of the Ease, and sensual Gratifications of any Doctrine, and these are usually thrown into the same Scale to make more weight. Men have naturally a good liking to that Doctrine that promiseth fair for Ease, Liberty, Gain, and Honor; and this hath made it an usual piece of Satan's business in all Ages to gild an Error with outward Advantages, and to corrupt the Mind by secret Promises of Advancement.
On the other side, he labors as much to prejudice Truth, by representing it as hazardous and troublesome to the Professors of it. And this not only affrights some from an open Confession of the Truth they believe; but also by the help of the Affections doth persuade some to believe that to be an Error, which unavoidably brings Persecution with it: By this Engine are the Minds of Men turned about to think well or ill of a Doctrine presented to them. This is so well known, that I shall forbear a further Prosecution of this Head, and go to the next Course than Satan takes to corrupt the Judgment by the Affections; Which he doth,
7. By stirring up some particular Passions, which in Opinions do usually more influence the Understanding. And here I shall only insist upon these two, Pride, and Anger; with the peculiar means that Satan hath to engage them in his Service.
That Pride and Anger are the two usual Firebrands of Contention, and Fountains of Error, all Ages have acknowledged and bewailed. These two Companions in Evil do so darken the Mind, that the miserable Captive, in whom they domineer, is carried blindfold he knows not whither, nor how. Pride usually begins, and Anger follows with all its forces to justify what Pride hath undertaken. Hence the Apostle in 1 Tim. 6. 4. rakes up all the concomitant Filth of Error, as Envy, Strife, Railings, evil Surmisings, and perverse Disputings of Men, and lays them at the Door of Pride; He is proud, knowing nothing.
For the engaging of these two Thieves, that rob the Understanding of its Light, Satan hath many Artifices in readiness. Pride (which is forward enough of itself) is soon excited, by laying before it an Opportunity of a seeming rare Discovery, or of advancing the Glory of Knowledge above the common Pitch, of being seen and admired as more excellent than others, &c. (for upon such unworthy Grounds have some dared to adventure upon strange Notions) yet there is nothing that doth more firmly engage it, than Contention or Dispute: for though the proper end of Disputation be the sifting out of Truth; yet such is Mans Pride, and Satan's Advantage by it, that it seldom attains its true end in those that are engaged. By-standers, that keep their Minds calm, and unbiased, may receive more satisfaction than the Contenders themselves; and there needs no other evidence of this, than the common Experience which Men have of our frequent Contentions, where we have Confutations, Answers and Replies, and yet still all Parties continue in their Opinions without Conviction. So that they that would unfeignedly feels Truth, (in my Mind) take not the best Course in their Pursuit, that presently engage themselves in a public Dispute, for the usual Heats that are begot in a Contention alienate their Minds from a just Impartiality, and the dust they raise blinds their Eyes, that they discern not truly. Let us look into this Artifice of engaging Pride by Disputation, and by it the Judgment. First we find, that when an humor of contending is raised, certain Truths are neglected, as to their improvement and Practice; For so much of the Strength of the Soul is laid out upon disputable Questions, that little is left for more weighty matters. Secondly, In Disputes Men's Credit is so concerned, that 'tis a most difficult thing to preserve a faithful regard to Verity, especially where they are managed with Affronts and Contumelies. They that by calm handling might be induced to acknowledge a Mistake, will scarce come near that Point of Ingenuity, when they must be called Fool, Knave, or Ass for their labor. Hence ordinarily (though they profess otherwise) Men seek rather Victory than Truth. Thirdly, in Disputes Pride and Passion are usually heightened, and the stronger the Passions are, the weaker is the Judgment. Eager Altercations bring a Confusion, both upon the matter of which they dispute, and upon the Understanding that should judge. Fourthly, in the heart of Disputation, when the Mind is inflamed, Men usually behave themselves like those in a Fray, where they snatch and throw anything that comes to hand, and never mind where it hits; they will affirm or deny anything that may seem any way to bring them off. Fifthly, these Assertions being once affirmed, must be maintained, and so Errors and Contentions increase without end. Disputes fix a Man in his Perswasion, and do as it were tie him to the Stake, so that right or wrong he will go through with it. Sixthly, Some dispute in jest against their present Judgment, and yet at last dispute themselves into a belief of what they wantonly at first affirmed; as some tell Lies so long, that at length they believe them to be true. Seventhly, A sadder Mischief often follows a disputing Humor, which is an hazard of the loss of all Truth; Men dispute so long till they suspect all things, and after a long Trade of Scepticism, turn Atheists.
After the same manner doth the Devil engage Anger in all Disputes and Controversies, for it keeps company with Pride, wherever there is a Provocation. And besides this, Anger stirring up Injuries and Wrongs, hath often engaged Men (as it were in revenge) to change their Opinion, and to take up another Way or Doctrine. Nay often that simple Mixture of Pride and Anger which we call Emulation, hath privately tainted the Integrity of Mind, and prepared it for the next fair opportunity of Error. This is noted of Arius, by Theodoret, that when Alexander was chosen Bishop of Alexandria, he envied him the preferency, and from thence sought occasions of Contention, which after a little while the Devil brought to his hand, as we have heard.
So great is the power of these two Passions over the Understanding, that we have cause to wonder at their success: seldom or never can if be shown that any Ring-leader in Error was not visibly tainted with Pride, or not apparently soured with Discontents and Emulation.
8. To these ways of blinding the Understanding by the Affections, I shall add but one more, which is this: Satan endeavors mainly to adorn an Error with Truths clothing; he takes its Ornaments and Jewels to dress up a false Doctrine, that it may look more lovely and dutiful; I mean, that he designs (where Errors are capable of such an imitation) to put them into the way, method, garb and manner which Truth doth naturally use: If Truth be adorned with Zeal, Order, Strictness, or have advantageous ways of managing itself, Error must straight-way imitate it in all these things; and though he that looks near, may easily discern that 'tis not the natural complexion of Error, but an artificial varnish, and such as doth no more become it than a Court-dress doth become a course, clownish Country Person, (for you may at first look usually discover the Wolf under Sheeps clothing, and under the garb of the Apostles of Christ you may see the Ministers of Satan) yet are the credulous usually affected with these appearances; if they find a professed strictness, a seeming severity, an imitation of the ways of Truth, or of the fruits thereof, they commonly seek no further, but judge that to be Truth which doth the things that Truth doth; and if Error can handsomely stand in competition with Truth, upon a pretence of being as effectual in good works, and doing things of themselves lovely, and of good report, it doth much gain upon the good liking of those whose consideration leads them not much further than fair appearances. I shall only exemplify this by the Art and policy which Julian used to set up Paganism, and to ruin Christianity, (and those who have observed the ways which he took to gain his end, will readily acknowledge he was as well skilled in advancing Error and suppressing Truth as any whosoever, and knew exactly to suit his designs to Men's inclinations) he observing that Christian Religion had some particular things in its practice and way, which made it's face to shine, as that it had Persons solemnly set apart by Ordination for teaching the Mysteries of the Gospel, and for managing the public Worship of God; that these Persons were to be grave in their carriage, and exemplary in a strict holy conversation; that the Constitutions of Religion appointed certain necessary and effectual ways of Discipline, for Punishment, and restoring of Offenders, and bringing them to Repentance; that it took care of the comfortable maintenance of those that had given up themselves to the Ministry of the Word and Prayer; that it also enjoined a relief of the Poor and Strangers, &c. Taking notice (I say) of these Excellencies in Christianity, and how lovely they were in the eyes of their enemies; He appointed the like Constitutions for Paganism, and ordained that the Idol Temples should be suited in conveniency and comeliness to Christian Churches; That there should be Seats and Desks for the chief Doctors and Readers of Gentilism, who at set-times were to exhort the Peoples, and pray with them; and that Colleges and Monasteries should be erected for them, and for the relief of the Poor and Strangers; he commanded Discipline and Penances for the chastisement of Offenders; he required that their Priests should seriously give up themselves to the Worship of God, as also their Families; that they should not frequent Shows and Taverns, nor practice any infamous Trade and Art. Thus Sozomen reports him, and gives us a Copy of his Letter to Arsacius high Priest of Galatia to this purpose; and all this he did to bring Gentilism into credit with the Vulgar, whom he had observed to be affected to Christianity for its Order, Strictness and Government.
Yet is not this the only instance that may be given in this kind: for observe but any Error that by Schism sets up for itself in a distinct party, and you shall see that though it departs from the Truth of the Church, and from its Communion, yet still (as the Israelites did with the Egyptians) it carries away with it these Jewels of the Church, and keeps to some considerable part of the Churches way, (though modified according to its own bent) that it might have a luster with it, to make it taking with others.
These eight particulars are the most remarkable ways of Satan, whereby the Affections are gained to a good liking of Error, and by them the judgment secondarily corrupted to call it Truth.
CHAP. V. Satan's Attempts against the Peace of God's Children, evidenced, (1.) By his Malice; (2.) From the concernment of Peace to God's Children. What these Concerns are, explained. (3.) From the Advantages which he hath against them by disquieting their Minds. 1. Confusion of Mind. 2. Unfitness for Duty, and how. 3. Rejection of Duty. 4. A stumbling block to others. 5. Preparation of the Mind to entertain venomous Impressions, and what they are. 6. Bodily Weakness. 7. Our Miseries Satan's contentment.
WE have viewed the ways of Satan by which he 〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 to Sin, by which he withdraws Men from Duty and Service, by which he corrupts the Mind through Error; it only now remains that something be spoken of his attempts against the Peace and Comfort of the Children of God.
That 'tis also one of Satan's chief designs to cheat us of our Spiritual Peace, may be fully evinced by a consideration of his Malice, the great concern of inward Comfort to us, and the many Advantages which he hath against us by the disquiet of our Minds.
First, whosoever shall seriously consider the Devil's implacable Malice, will easily believe, that he so envies our Happiness that he will industriously rise up against all our Comforts. 'It is his inward fret and indignation that Man hath any interest in that Happiness from which he irrecoverably fell, and that the Spirit of God should produce in the hearts of his People any spiritual joy or satisfaction in the belief and expectation of that Felicity, and therefore must it be expected that his Malice (heightened by the torment of his own guilt, which (as some think) are those Chains of darkness in which he is reserved at present, to the judgment of the great day) will not, cannot leave this part of our Happiness unattempted. He endeavors to supplant us of our Birthright, of our Blessing, of our Salvation, and the comfortable hopes thereof. From his common employment in this matter, the Scripture hath given him names, importing an opposition to Christ and his Spirit, in the ways they take for our Comfort and Satisfaction. Christ is our Advocate that pleads for us, Satan is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Calumniator. The Spirit interceds for us, Satan is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Accuser of the Brethren, who accuseth them before God night and day. The Spirit is our Comforter, Satan is our Disturber, a Beelzebub who is ever raking in our Wounds, as Flies upon Sores. The Apostle Paul had his Eye upon this, when he was advising the Corinthians to receive again the penitent incestuous Person, his caution was most serious, 2 Cor. 2. 11. lest Satan get advantage of us, lest he deceive and circumvent us, (for his expression relates to Men, cunningly deceitful in Trade, that do over-reach and defraud the unskillful): and the reason of this caution was, the known and commonly experienced subtlety of Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices, implying that he will, and frequently doth lie at catch to take all advantages again 〈◊〉 . Some indeed restrain these advantages to Vers. 10. as ild 〈◊〉 only meant, that Satan was designing to fix the Corinthians upon an Opinion, that Backsliders into great Sins were not to be received again, or that he laid in wait to raise a Schism in the Church upon the account of this Corinthian. Others restrain this advantage which he waited for, to Vers. 7. where the Apostle expresseth his fear, lest the excommunicated Person should be swallowed up of too much sorrow; but the caution being not expressly bound up to any one of these, seems to point at them all, and to tell us that Satan drives on many designs at once, and that in this Mans case Satan would endeavor to put the Corinthians upon a Pharisaical rigor, or to rend the Church by a division about him, and to oppress the Penitent by bereaving him of his due comfort; so that it appears still, that it is one of his designs to hinder the Comfort, and molest the Hearts of God's Children.
Secondly, Of such concern is inward spiritual Peace to us, that 'tis but an easy conjecture to conclude from thence, that so great an Adversary will make it his design to rob us of such a Jewel: For,
1. Spiritual Comfort is the sweet Fruit of Holiness, by which God adorns and beautifies the ways of Religious Service, to render them amiable and pleasant to the Undertakers. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, Prov. 3. 17. and this is the present rest and refreshment of God's faithful Servants under all their toil, that when they have tribulation from the World, yet they have peace in him, Joh. 16. 33. and that being justified by Faith, they have peace with God, and sometimes joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1. 8. and this they may the more confidently expect, because the fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, &c. Gal. 5. 22.
2. Spiritual Comfort is not only our satisfaction, but our inward Strength and Activity, for all holy Services doth depend upon it. By this doth God strengthen our Heart, and gird up our Loins to run the ways of his Commandments; it doth also strengthen the soul to undergo Afflictions, to glory in Tribulations, to triumph in Persecutions; the outward Man is also corroborated by the inward peace of the Mind; A merry Heart doth good like a Medicine, but a broken Spirit drieth the Bones, Prov. 17. 22. all which are intended by that expression, Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your strength; 'tis strength to the Body, to the Mind, and that both for service and suffering; the reason whereof the Apostle doth hint to us, Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your Hearts and Minds; that is, Peace doth so guard us as with a Garison, (for so much the word imports) that our Affections (our Hearts) being entertained with divine satisfactions, are not easily enticed by baser proffers of worldly delights, and our Reasonings (our Minds) being kept steady upon so noble an object, are not so easily perverted to a treacherous recommendation of vanities.
3. Joy and Peace are propounded to our careful endeavors, for Attainment and Preservation, as a necessary duty of great importance to us. Rejoycings are not only recommended as seemly for the Upright, but enjoined as Service, and that in the constant practice, Rejoice evermore, In everything give thanks, 1 Thess. 5. 16, 18. Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice, Phil. 4. 4. In the Old Testament God commanded the observation of several Feasts to the Jews, these though they had their several respective grounds from God's appointment, yet the general design of all seems to have been this, that they might rejoice before the Lord their God, Lev. 23. 40. as if God did thereby tell them that it was the comely complexion of Religion, and that which was very acceptable to himself, that his Children might always serve him in cheerfulness of Heart, seeing such have more cause to rejoice than all the World besides. They are then much mistaken, that think mounful Eyes and sad Hearts be the gretest Ornaments of Religion, or that none are serious in the Profession of it, that have a cheerful Countenance and a rejoicing frame of Spirit. 'It is true, there is a Joy that is devilish, and in Mirth which is madness, to which Christ hath denounced a Woe, Woe be to them that laugh now, for they shall mourn and weep; but this is a Joy of another nature, a carnal delight in Vanity and Sin, by which Men fatten their hearts to ruin; and whatsoever is said against this, can be no prejudice to Spiritual, holy Joy in God, his Favor and Ways.
4. Spiritual Comfort is also a badge of our Heavenly Father's kindness. As Joseph (the Son of his Fathers affections) had a special testimony thereof in his party-coloured Coat; so have God's Favorites a peculiar token of his good Will to them, when he gives them the Garments of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness; if Spiritual Comfort be so advantageous to us, it will be no wonder to see Satan so much rage against it; it would be a satisfaction to him to tear these Robes off us, to impede so needful a Duty, to rob us of so much Strength, and to bereave us of the sweet fruits of our Labors.
Thirdly, It further appears that Satan's design is against the Comforts of God's Children, by the many advantages he hath against them, from the trouble and disquiet of their Hearts: I shall reckon up the chief of them; As,
1. From the Trouble of the Spirit, he raiseth confusions and distractions of Mind: For, 1. 'It is as natural to Trouble, to raise up a swarm of muddy Thoughts, as to a troubled Sea to cast up Mire and Dirt: and hence is that comparison, Isa. 57. 20. a thousand fearful Surmises, evil Cogitations, Resolves, and Counsels, immediately offer themselves. This disorder of Thoughts Christ took notice of in his Disciples when they were in danger, Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Luk. 24. 38. And David considered it as matter of great anxiety, which called for speedy help, Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. Sometimes one fear is suggested, then presently another; now this doubt perplexeth, then another question is begot by the former; they think to take this course, then by and by they are off that, and resolve upon another, and as quickly change again to a third, and so onward, one Thought succeeding another, as Vapours from a boiling Pot. 2. Such Thoughts are vexatious and distracting, the very Thoughts themselves (being the poisonous steams of their running Sores) are sadly afflictive, and not unfitly called Cogitationes onerosae, burdensome Thoughts. But as they wrap up a Man in Clouds and Darkness, as they puzzle him in his Resolves, non-plus him in his Undertakings, distract him in his Counsels, disturb and hinder him in his Endeavors, &c. so do they bring the Mind into a labyrinth of confusion. What advantage the Devil hath against a Child of God when his heart is thus divided and broken into Shivers, 'tis easy to imagine. And David seems to be very sensible of it, when he put up that request, Psal. 86. 11. Unite my heart to fear thy Name.
2. By disquiet of Heart the Devil unfits Men for Duty or Service. Fitness for Duty lies in the orderly temper of Body and Mind, making a Man willing to undertake, and able to finish his work with comfortable satisfaction; if either the Body or Mind be distempered, a Man is unfit for such an undertaking, both must be in a suitable frame, (like a well-tuned Instrument) else there will be no melody: Hence, when David prepared himself for Praises and Worship, he tells us, his Heart was ready and fixed, and then his Tongue was ready also, so was his Hand with Psaltery and Harp, all these were awakened into a suitable posture. That a Man is or hath been in a fit order for Service, may be concluded from, 1. His Alacrity to undertake a Duty. 2. His Activity in the prosecution. 3. His Satisfaction afterward, right Grounds and Principles in these things being still presupposed. This being laid as a foundation, we shall easily perceive how the troubles of the Spirit do unfit us for Duty: For,
1. These do take away all Alacrity and forwardness of the Mind, partly by diverting it from Duty. Sorrows when they prevail, do so fix the Mind upon the present Trouble, that it can think of nothing but its Burthen, they confine the Thoughts to the pain and smart, and make a Man forget all other things; as David in his trouble forget to eat his Bread; and sick Persons willingly discourse only of their Diseases, partly by indisposing for action. Joy and Hope are active Principles, but Sorrow is sullen and sluggish. As the Mind (in trouble) is wholly employed in a contemplation of its Misery, rather than in finding out a way to avoid it, so if it be at leisure at any time to entertain thoughts of using means for recovery, yet 'tis so tired out with its Burden, so disheartened by its own Fears, so discouraged with Opposition and Disappointment, that it hath no list to undertake anything; by this means the Devil brings the soul into a spiritual Catoche, so congealing the Spirits, that it is made stiff and deprived of motion.
2. Disquiets of Heart unfit us for Duty, by hindering our activity in prosecution of Duty. The whole Heart, Soul, and Strength should be engaged in all religious Services, but these Troubles are as Clogs and Weights to hinder motion. Joy is the dilatation of the Soul, and widens it for anything which it undertakes; but Grief contracts the Heart, and narrows all the faculties: hence doth David beg an enlarged heart, as the principle of Activity, Psal. 119. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my Heart: for what can else be expected, when the Mind is so distracted with Fear and Sorrow, but that it should be uneven, tottering, weak, and confused? so that if it do set itself to anything, it acts troublesomly, drives on heavily, and doth very little with a great deal ado; and yet were the unfitness the less, if that little which it can do, were well done, but the Mind is so interrupted in its endeavors, that sometimes in Prayer the Man begins, and then is presently at a stand, and dare not proceed, his words are swallowed up, he is so troubled that he cannot speak, Psal. 77. 4. Sometimes the Mind is kept so employed and fixed on Trouble that it cannot attend in Hearing or Praying, but presently the Thoughts are called off, and become wandering.
3. Troubles hinder our satisfaction in Duty, and by that means unfit us to present Duties, and indispose us to future Services of of that kind. Our satisfaction in Duty ariseth, 1. Sometimes from its own luster and sweetness, the conviction we have of its pleasantness and the spiritual advantages to be had thereby; these render it alluring and attractive, and by such considerations are we invited to their performance, as Isa. 2. 3. Come ye let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord,—and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. Hos. 6. 1. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us: he hath smitten, and he will bind us up; but trouble of Spirit draws a black Curtain over the excellencies of Duty, and presents us with frightful thoughts about it, so that we judge of it according to our fears, and make it frightful to ourselves, as if it would be to no purpose, rather a mischief than an advantage. 2. Sometime our satisfaction ariseth from some special token of Favor which our indulgent Father lets fall upon us, while we are in his work. As when he gives us more than ordinary assistance, or puts Joy and Comfort into our Hearts. And this he often doth to make us come again, and to engage afresh in the same, or other services, as having tasted and seen that the Lord is gracious, and that there is a blessedness in waiting for him. As in our Bodies he so orders it, that the concocted juices become a successive Ferment to those that succeed from our daily Meat and Drink: So from Duties performed, doth he beget and continue Spiritual Appetite to new undertakings. But O how sadly is all this hindered by the disquiet of the Heart? The Graces, of Faith and Love, are usually obstructed, if not in their Exercise yet in their delightful Fruits, and if God offer a kindness, inward sorrow hinders the perception: As when Moses told the Israelites of their deliverance, they hearkened not for hard bondage. If a message of Peace present itself in a Promise, or some consideration of God's merciful disposition, yet usually this is not credited. Job confesseth so much of himself, Job 19. 16. If I had called and he had answered me, yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my Voice. David also doth the like, Psal. 77. 2, 3. My Soul refuseth to be comforted: I remember God, and was troubled. Matter of greatest comfort is often so far from giving ease, that it augments the trouble. However the Heart is so hurried with its fears, and discomposed with grief, that it cannot hearken to nor consider, nor believe any kind offer made to it.
By all these ways doth the Devil, through the disquiet of Mind, unfit the Lord's People for Duty; and what a sad advantage this is against us cannot easily be told. By this means he may widen the distance betwixt God and us, keep our Wounds open, make us a reproach to Religion: And what not? But
3. By these disquiets he pusheth us on to reject all duties, for when he hath tired us out by wearisome endeavors, under so great indispositions and unfitness, he hath a fair advantage to tempt us to lay all aside. Our present posture doth furnish him with arguments, he forgeth his Javelings upon our Anvil, and they are commonly these three: 1. That duties are difficult. And this is easily proved from our own experience, while we are broken or bowed down with sorrows: we make many attempts for duty, and are oft beat off with loss: our greatest toil helps us but to very inconsiderable performances, hence he infers, 'It is foolishness to attempt that which is above our strength, better sit still then toil for nothing. 2. That they are unfruitful, and this is our own complaint, for troubled Spirits have commonly great expectations from duties at first, and they run to them (as the impotent and sick people, to the Pool of Bethesda) with thoughts of immediate ease as soon as they shall step into them; but when they have tried, and waited a while, siretching themselves upon duty (as Elisha 's Servant laid the Staff upon the Face of the Shunamites Son) and yet there is no voice nor hearing, no answer from God, no peace, then are they presently disatisfied, reflecting on the Promises of God, and the Counsels of good Men, with this, Where is all the pleasantness you speak of? what advantage is it that we have thus run, and labored, when we have got nothing? and then 'tis easy for the Devil to add, And why do you wait on the Lord any longer? 3. His last and most dangerous argument is, that they are sinful. Unfitness for Duty produceth many distractions, much deadness, wandering thoughts, great interruptions, and pitiful performances. Hence the troubled Soul comes off from duty, wounded and halting, more distressed when he hath done, than when he began: upon these considerations, that all his service was sin, a mocking of God, a taking his name in vain, nay a very blasphemous affront to a divine Majesty. Upon this the Devil starts the question to his Heart, whether it be not better to forbear all Duty, and to do nothing? Thus doth Satan improve the trouble of the mind, and often with the designed success. For a dejected Spirit doth not only afford the materials of these Weapons which the Devil frames against it, but is much prepared to receive them into its own Bowels. The grounds of these Arguments it grants and the inferences are commonly consented to, so that ordinarily duty is neglected, either, 1. Through sottishness of Heart, or 2. Through frightful fears: Or 3. Through desperateness: bringing a Man to the very precipice of that Atheistical determination, I have cleansed my hands in vain.
4. Satan makes use of the troubles of God's Children as a stumbling-block to others. 'It is no small advantage to him, that he hath hereby an occasion to render the ways of God unlovely to those that are beginning to look Heaven-ward, he sets before them, the Sighs, Groans, Complaints, and restless Out-cries of the wounded in Spirit, to scare them off from all seriousness in Religion, and whispers this to them; Will you choose a Life of Bitterness and Sorrow? can you eat Ashes for Bread, and mingle your Drink with Tears? will you exchange the comforts and contents of Life, for a melancholy Heart, and a dejected countenance? how like you to go Mourning all the day, and at night to be scared with Dreams and terrified with Visions? will you choose a Life that is worse than Death? and a condition which will make you a terror to yourselves, and a burden to others? can you be in love with an heart loaden with grief, and perpetual fears almost to distraction? while you see others in the mean time enjoy themselves in a contented peace? Thus he follows young beginners with his suggestions, making them believe that they cannot be serious in Religion, but at last they will be brought to this, and that 'tis a very dangerous thing to be religious overmuch, and the high way to dispair: So that if they must have a Religion, he readily directs them to use no more of it, than may consist with the pleasures of Sin and the World, and to make an easy business of it, not to let Sin lie over-near their Heart, lest it disquiet them, nor over-much to concern themselves with Study, Reading, Prayer, or hearing of threatening awakening Sermons, lest it make them Mad, nor to affect the sublimities of Communion with God, exercises of Faith and Divine Love, lest it discompose them, and dash their worldly Jollities out of Countenance. A Counsel that is readily enough embraced by those that are almost persuaded to be Christians; and the more to confirm them in it, he sticks not sometime to asperse the poor troubled Soul with Dissimulation (where that accusation is proper, for the Devil cares not how inconsistent he be to himself, so that he may but gain his end) affirming all his seriousness to be nothing but whining Hypocrisy. So that whether they judge these troubles to be real or feigned, his conclusion is the same, and he persuades Men thereby to hold off from all religious strictness, holy diligence, and careful watchfulness.
5. A further use which the Devil makes of these troubles of Spirit, is to prepare the Hearts of Men thereby, to give entertainment to his venomous impressions. Distress of Heart usually opens the Door to Satan, and lays a Man naked, without Armor or Defense as a fair Mark for all his poisoned Arrows, and 'tis a hundred to one but some of them do hit. I shall choose out some of the most remarkable, and they are these:
1. After long acquaintance with grief he labors to fix them in it. In some cases custom doth alleviate higher griefs, and Men take an odd kind of delight in them, 'tis some pleasure to complain, and Men settle themselves in such a course, their Finger is ever upon their Soar, and they go about telling their Sorrows to all they converse with, though to some this is a necessity, (for real Sorrows if they be not too great for vent, will constrain them to speak,) yet in some that have been formerly acquainted with grief, it degenerates at last into a formality of complaining; and because they formerly had cause so to do, they think they must always do so. But besides this, Satan doth endeavor to chain Men to their mourning upon two higher Accounts, 1. By a delusive contentment in sorrow, as if our tears paid some part of our debt to God, and made amends for the injuries done to him. 2. By an obstinate sullenness and desperate resolvedness, they harden themselves in sorrow, and say as Job 7. 11. I will not refrain my Mouth, I will speak in the anguish of my Spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my Soul. Am I a Sea, or a Whale, that thou settest a Watch over me?
2. Another impression that Men's Hearts are apt to take, is unthankfulness, for the favors formerly bestowed upon them; their present troubles blot out the memory of old kindnesses; they conclude they have nothing at all, because they have not peace; though God heretofore hath sent down from on high, and taken them out of the great Waters, or out of the Mire and Clay where they were ready to sink; though he hath sent them many tokens of Love, conferred on them many Blessings: yet all these are no more to them, so long as their sorrows continue, than Haman's Wealth and Honor was to him, so long as Mordecai the Jew sat at the Kings Gate. Thus the Devil oft prevails with God's Children, to deal with God, as some unthankful Persons deal with their Benefactors; who if they be not humor'd in every request, deny the reality of their Love, and despise with great ingratitude all that was done for them before.
3. By inward griefs, the Heart of the afflicted are prepared to entertain the worst interpretation that the Devil can put upon the Providences of God. The various Instances of Scripture, and the gracious Promises made to those that walk in Darkness and see no Light, do abundantly forewarn Men from making bad conclusions of God's dealings, and do tell us that God in design, for our trial, and for our profit doth often hide his Face for a moment, when yet his purpose is to bind us up with everlasting compassions. Now the Devil labors to improve the sorrows of the Mind to give a quite contrary construction: if they are afflicted, instead of saying, Sorrow may endure for a Night, but Joy will come in the Morning, or that for a little while God hath hidden himself, he puts them to say, this Darkness shall never pass away. If the grief be little, he drives them on to a fearful expectation of worse; as he did with Hezekiah, Esa. 38. 13. I reckoned till Morning, that as a Lyon, so will be break all my Bones, from Day even to Night wilt thou make an end of me. If God purpose to teach us by inward Sorrows, our Pride of Heart, carelessness, neglect of dependence upon him, the bitterness of Sin, or the like: the Devil will make us believe (and we are too ready to subscribe to him) that God proclaims open War against us, and resolves never to own us more. So did Job, chap. 19. 6. Know now that God hath overthrown me, and compassed me with his Net: how often complained he, thou hast made me as thy mark, thou hast broken me asunder, thou hast taken me by my Neck and shaken me to pieces? So also Heman, Psal. 88. 14. Why castest thou off my Soul? why hidest thou thy Face from me?
4. Upon this occasion the Devil is ready to envenome the Soul with sinful wishes and execrations against itself. Eminent Saints have been tempted in their trouble to say too much this way, Job solemnly cursed his Day; Job 3. 3. Let the Day perish wherein I was born, and the Night in which it was said, there is a Manchild conceived, &c. So also Jeremiah, chap. 20. 14. Cursed be the Day wherein I was Born, let not the Day wherein my Mother bare me, be Blessed; Cursed be the Man who brought tidings to my Father, saying a Manchild is Born unto thee; and let that Man be as the Cities which God overthrew, and repented not. Strange rashness! what had the Day deserved? or wherein was the Messenger to be blamed? Violent Passions hurried him beyond all bounds of reason and moderation. When troubles within are violent, a small push sets Men forward; and when once they begin, they are carried headlong beyond what they first intended.
5. On this advantage the Devil sometimes imboldens them to quarrel God himself directly. When Job and Jeremiah cursed their day, it was a contumely against God indirectly, but they durst not make bold with God at so high a rate as to quarrel him to his Face. Yet even this are Men brought to often, when their sorrows are long-lasting and deep. The Devil suggests, Can God be faithful, and never keep Promise for help? can he be merciful when he turns away his ears from the cry of the miserable? where is his pity when he multiplies his wounds without cause? Though at first these cursed intimations do a little startle Men, yet when by frequent inculcating they grow more familiar to the Heart, the distressed break out in their rage, with those exclamations, Where is the faithfulness of God? where are his Promises? hath he not forgotten to be gracious? are not his Mercies clean gone? And at last it may be Satan leads them a step higher, that is,
6. To a despairing desperateness. For when all Passages of relief are stop up, and the burden becomes great, Men are apt to be drawn into rage and fury, when they think their burden is greater than they can bear, and see no hope of ease, in a kind of revenge they express their anger against the hand that wounded them. The Devil is officiously ready with his advice of Curse God and die, and they being full of anguish, are quickly made to comply with it.
7. When 'tis at this height, the Devil hath but one Stage more, and that is the suggesting of irregular means for ease. Rage against God doth not quench the inward burning; Blasphemies against Heaven easeth not the Pain, the Soar runs still and ceaseth not, the trouble continues, the Man cannot endure it longer, all Patience and Hope is gone, what shall he do in this case? The Devil offers his Service, he will be the Physician, and commonly he prescribes one of these two things: 1. That 'tis best to endeavor to break through all this trouble into a resolved profaneness; not to stand in awe of Laws, nor to believe that there is a God that governs in the Earth, but that this is only the bitter fruit of melancholy, and unnecessary seriousness, and therefore 'tis best; to eat, drink and be merry. If a Man can thus escape out of his trouble, the Devil needs no more; but oft he cannot, the wounds of Conscience will not be thus healed. Then, 2. He hath another remedy which will not fail, as he tells them, that is, to destroy themselves, to end their troubles with their lives. How open are the Breasts of troubled Creatures to all these Darts? and were it not that God secretly steps in, and holds the afflicted with his right hand, 'tis scarce imaginable but that wounded Consciences should by Satan's subtle improvement of so fair an advantage, be brought to all this misery.
8. Satan can afflict the Body, by the Mind. For these two are so closely bound together, that their good and bad estate is shared betwixt them. If the Heart be merry, the Countenance is cheerful, the Strength is renewed, the Bones do flourish like an Herb. If the Heart be troubled, the Health is impaired, the Strength is dried up, the Marrow of the Bones wasted, &c. Grief in the Heart, is like a Moth in the Garment, it insensibly consumeth the Body, and disordereth it. This advantage of weakening the Body falls into Satan's hands by necessary consequence, as the Prophets ripe Figs, that fell into the Mouth of the Eater. And surely he is well pleased with it, as he is an Enemy both to Body and Soul: But 'tis a greater satisfaction to him, in that as he can make the Sorrows of the Mind, produce the Weakness and Sickness of the Body: So can he make the Distemper of the Body (by a reciprocal requital) to augment the trouble of the Mind. How little can a sickly Body do? it disables a Man for all Services, he cannot oft Pray, nor Read, nor Hear. Sickness takes away the Sweetness and Comfort of Religious Exercises; this gives occasion for them to think the worse of themselves; they think the Soul is weary of the ways of God, when the Body cannot hold out. All failures which weariness and faintness produce, are ascribed presently to the bad dispostion of the Mind, and this is like Oil cast upon the Flame. Thus the Devil makes a double gain out of Spiritual trouble.
9. Let it be also reckoned among the advantages which Satan hath against Men from trouble of Spirit, that 'tis a contentment to him to see them in their Miseries; 'tis a sport to him to see them (as Job speaks) take their Flesh in their Teeth, and cry out in the bitterness of their Souls; their groanings are his Music: when they wallow in Ashes, drown themselves in Tears, roar till their Throat is dry, spread out their Hands for help, then he gluts his Heart in looking upon their woes. When they fall upon God with their unjust Surmises, evil Interpretations of Providence, questioning his Favor, denying his Grace, whishing they had never been Born, then he claps his Hands and shouts a Victory. The pleasantest sight to him, is to see God hiding himself from his Child, and that Child broken with fears, torn in pieces with griefs, made a Brother to Dragons, a Companion to Owls, under restless Anxities, perpetual Lamentations, feeble and sore broken, their Strength dried like a Potsheard, their Throat dry, their Tongue cleaving to their Jaws, their Bowels boiling, their Bones burnt with Heat, their Skin black upon them, their Flesh consumed, their Bones sticking out, chastened with strong pain upon their Bed. This is one of Satan's delightful Spectacles, and for these ends doth he all he can, to bereave them of their Comfort, which we may the more certainly persuade ourselves to be true, when we consider the grounds forementioned, his malicious nature, the advantages of Spiritual Peace, and the disadvantages of Spiritual trouble.
CHAP. VI. Of the various Ways by which he hinders Peace. 1. Way by discomposures of Spirit. These Discomposures explained, by showing, 1. What advantage he takes from our natural Temper; and what Tempers give him this advantage. 2. By what occasions he works upon our natural Tempers. 3. With what success. (1.) These Occasions suited to natural Inclinations, raise great disturbance. (2.) They have a tendency to Spiritual Trouble. The thing proved, and the manner how, discovered. (3.) These Disturbances much in his Power. General and Particular Considerations about that Power.
HAving evidenced that one of Satan's principal designs is against the Peace and Comfort of God's Children; I shall next endeavor a discovery of the various ways by which he doth undermine them herein. All inward troubles are not of the same kind in themselves, neither doth Satan always produce the same effects out of all. Some being in their own nature disquiets, that do not so directly, and immediately overthrow the Peace and Joy of believing, and the Comforts of assurance of Divine Favor, as others do. Yet seeing that by all, he hath no small advantage against us, as to Sin and Trouble, and that any of them at the long-run, may lead us to question our interest in Grace, and the Love of God, and may accordingly afflict us, I shall speak of them all; which that I may do the more distinctly, I shall rank these troubles into several heads, under peculiar names, (it may be not altogether so proper, but that the curious may find matter of exception to them) that by them and their explanation, the differences may the better appear. I distinguish therefore of a fourfold trouble, that the Devil doth endeavor to work up upon the Hearts of Men. They are, 1. Discomposures. 2. Affrightments. 3. Dejections of Sadness. 4. Distresses of Horrour. Of all which I shall speak in their order. And
1. Of Discomposures of Soul. These are Molestations and Disturbances by which the Mind is put out of order and made unquiet; the calm (in which it should enjoy itself, and by which it should be composed to a regular and steady acting) being disturbed by a Storm of Commotion; and in which the Conscience or the peace of it is not presently concerned. This distinction of the trouble of Soul from the trouble of Conscience is not new, others have observed it before, and do thus explain it, Trouble of Soul is larger than trouble of Conscience; every troubled Conscience is a troubled Soul, but every troubled Soul is not a troubled Conscience: for the Soul may be troubled from Causes Natural, Civil, and Spiritual, according to variety of Occasions and Provocations, when yet a Man's inward peace with God is firm; and in some cases (as in Infants and in Men distracted with Fevers, &c.) there may be passions and disturbances of Soul, when the Conscience is not capable of exercising its office; nay the Soul of Christ was troubled (Joh. 12. 27. Now is my Soul troubled) when it was not possible that Sin or Despair should have the least • ooting in him.
For the opening of these discomposures of Soul, I shall, 1. Shew upon what advantage of Natural Temper the Devil is encouraged to molest Men. 2. By what occasions he doth work upon our Natural Inclinations. 3. And with what success of disturbance to the Soul.
1. As to our Natural Dispositions, Satan (as hath formerly been noted) takes his usual indications of working from thence; these guide him in his enterprises; his Temptations being suited to Men's Tempers, proceed more smoothly and successfully. Some are of so serene and calm a disposition, that he doth not much design their discomposure; but others there are, whose Passions are more stirring, (sit matter for him to work upon:) and these are,
1. The angry Disposition. How great an advantage this gives to Satan to disturb the Heart, may be easily conceived, by considering the various workings of it in several Men, according to their different Humors; 'tis a Passion that acts not alike in all, and for the differences (so far as we need to be concerned,) I shall not trouble the Schools of Philosophers, but content my self with what we have in Eph. 4. 31. where the Apostle expresseth it by three words, (not that they differ essentially) declaring thereby the various ways of Angers working; the first is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which we translate Bitterness. This is a displeasure smothered: for some when they are angry cover it, and give it no vent, partly for that they are sometimes ashamed to mention the ground as trivial or unjust, partly from sullenness of disposition, and oft from a natural reservedness: while the flame is thus kept down, it burns inwardly, and Men resolve in their Minds many troublesome vexatious thoughts. The second word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Wrath: this is a fierce impetuous anger. Some are soon moved, but so violent, that they are presently transported into Rage and Frenzy, or are so peevishly waspish that they cannot be spoken to. The third is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , translated here Anger, but signifies such a displeasure as is deep, entertaining thoughts of Revenge and Pursuit, settling itself at last into hatred. Any of these is enough to bereave the heart of its rest, and to alarm it with disturbances.
2. Others have an envious Nature, always maligning and repining at other Men's felicity; an evil Eye, that cannot look on another's better condition without vexation. This turns a Man into a Devil, 'tis the Devil's proper sin, and the fury that doth unquiet him, and he the better knows of what avail it would be to help on our trouble.
3. Some are of proud Tempers, always overvaluing themselves with the scorn and contempt of others. This humor is troublesome to all about them, but all this trouble doth at last redound to themselves; these think all others should observe them, and take notice of their supposed excellencies, which if Men do not, then it pines them, or stirs up their Choler to Indignation. Solomon, Prov. 30. 21. mentioning those things that are greatly disquieting in the Earth, instanceth in a Servant when he reigneth, and the Hand-maid that is Heir to her Mistress, intending thereby the proud imperious insolency of those that are unexpectedly raised from a low estate to Wealth or Honor: He that is of a proud Heart stirreth up Strife, Prov. 28. 25. and as he is troublesome to others, so doth he create trouble to himself; for he not only molests himself by the working of his disdainful thoughts, while he exerciseth his scorn towards others, (Prov. 21. 24. The haughty Scorner deals in proud wrath) but this occasions the affronts and contempt of others again, which beget new griefs to his restless Mind.
4. Some have a Natural exorbitancy of Desire, an evil coveting; they are passionately carried forth toward what they have not, and have no contentment or satisfaction in what they do enjoy. Such Humors are seldom at ease, their desires are painfully violent, and when they obtain what they longed for, they soon grow weary of it, and then another object takes up their wishes, so that these Daughters of the Horsleech are ever crying, Give, give, Prov. 30. 15.
5. Others have a soft effeminate Temper, a weakness of Soul that makes them unfit to bear any burden, or endure any hardness. These if they meet with Pains or Troubles, (and who can challenge an exemption from them?) they are presently impatient, vexing themselves by a vain reluctancy to what they cannot avoid; not but that extraordinary Burthens will make the strongest Spirit to stoop, but these cry out for the smallest matters, which a stout Mind would bear with some competent cheerfulness.
6. And there are other Dispositions that are tender, to an excess of Sympathy, so that they immoderately affect and afflict themselves with other Men's sorrows. Though this be a temper more commendable than any of the former, yet Satan can take advantage of this, as also of the forenamed Dispositions, to discompose us, especially by suiting them with fit occasions which readily work upon these Tempers: And this was
2. The second things to be explained, which shall be performed by a brief enumeration of them, the chief whereof are these,
1. Contempt or Disestimation. When a Man's Person, Parts, or Opinion are slighted, his Anger, Envy, Pride and Impatience are awakened, and these make him swell and restless within. Even good Men have been sadly disturbed this way. Job, as holy a Man as he was, and who had enough of greater matters to trouble his Mind, yet among other griefs, complains of this more than once, Job. 12. 4. I am as one mocked of his Neighbor: the just upright Man is laughed to scorn. Job 19. 15. They that dwell in mine House, and my Maids count me for a Stranger.—I called my Servant, and he gave me no answer;—Yea, young Children despised me, I rose up and they spake against me. Thus he bemoans himself, and (which is more) speaks of it again with some smartness of indignation, Job 30. 1. Now they that are younger than I, have me in derision, whose Fathers I would have disdained to have set with the Dogs of my Flock. David also who had a stout heart under troubles, complains that he could not bear reproaches, Psal. 69. Reproach hath broken mine Heart, I am full of heaviness. What these reproaches were, and how he was staggered with them, he tells us, Vers. 10. I chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. I made Sackcloth my Garment, and I became a Proverb to them. They that sit in the Gate, speak against me; and I was the Song of the Drunkards. With these he was so stounded, that if he had not catched hold on God by Prayer, (as he speaks, ver. 13.) he had fallen; But as for me, my Prayer is unto thee, O Lord, &c. and he afterward speaks of his support under Reproaches, as a wonder of Divine assistance, Psal. 119. 51. The Proud have had me in derision, yet have I not declined from thy Law.
2. Injury is another occasion by which the Devil works upon our Tempers to disquiet us. Wrongs of Injustice and Oppression are hard to bear, this is a common ground of trouble, good Men cannot always acquit themselves in this case as they ought. Jeremiah when smitten by Pashur, and put in the Stocks, Jer. 20. 2, 7. falls into a sad passion, I am a derision daily, everyone mocketh me, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil, imitating the passionate affrightments of those that cry, Murder, Murder, &c. No wonder seeing Solomon gives it as an axiom built upon manifold experience, Eccl. 7. 7. Oppression doth not only make a Man unquiet, but Mad in his unquietness; and not only those that are foolish and hasty, but the most considerate and sedate Persons; Oppression makes a wise Man mad.
3. Another occasion of Men's discomposure, is the prosperity of the Wicked: their abundance, their advancements to Honors and Dignity hath always been a grudge to those whose condition is below them, and yet suppose themselves to have better grounds to expect preferment than they. This astonished Job even to trembling, Job 21. 7. When I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh, and the matter was but this; Wherefore do the Wicked live, become old, yea, and mighty in power? &c. The trouble that seizeth on Men's hearts on this occasion, is called fretting, a vexation that wears out the strength of the Soul, as two hard Bodies waste by mutual attrition or rubbing. And it takes its advantage from our envy chiefly, though other distempers come in to help it forward, Psal. 37. 1. Fret not thyself because of evil Doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of Iniquity. David confesseth, that he was apt to fall into this trouble, Psal. 73. 3. I was envious at the Foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the Wicked. Against this disquiet we have frequent cautions, Prov. 24. 1, 19. and Psal. 49. 16. Be not afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. All which show our proneness to this disease.
4. Crosses and Afflictions give Satan an opportunity to work upon our Passions. As disappointments of Expectations, loss of Friends, of Estate, Persecutions and Sufferings for Conscience sake, &c. none of these in their own nature are joyous, but grievous: and what use they have been of to the Devil to discompose the minds of the Sufferers, is evidenced by common experience. The Tears, sad Countenances, and doleful Lamentations of Men are true Witnesses of the disquiet of their hearts; everyone being pressed with the sense of his own smart, is ready to cry out, Is there any sorrow like my sorrow? I am poor, and comfortless, my Lovers and my Friends have forsaken me, and there is none to help. Some grow faint under their Burthen, while their Eyes fail in looking for redress, especially when new unexpected troubles overwhelm their hopes, When I looked for good, then evil came; and when I waited for light, there came darkness, Job 30. 26. Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble, Jer. 14. 19. and here they sink, concluding there is no hope. Others that bear up better in a blessed expectation of spiritual profit, having that of David in their Eye, Blessed is the Man whom thou afflictest, and teachest in thy Law: yet they cannot forbear their complaints even to God, Psal. 25. 17. The troubles of mine heart are enlarged, O bring thou me out of my distresses, look upon mine affliction and my pain. May those that have had the highest advantages of heavenly support, whose hearts have been kept in peace, counting it all joy that they have fallen into these trials, (and God doth more this way, for those that suffer for the Gospels sake, than ordinarily for others) yet have not these been under a Stoical senslessness of their trouble; though they were not distressed, they were troubled on every side, though not in despair, yet they were perplexed, 2 Cor. 4. 8. though their Afflictions were light, yet were they Afflictions still.
5. To those may be added the pain or anguish of Sickness, and bodily Distemper. Though there are various degrees of pain, and that some Sicknesses are less afflictive than others, yet none of them forbear to pierce the Mind. The whole Man is discomposed; he that is exercised with strong pains upon his Bed, cries out in the bitterness of his Soul, and he that by insensible degrees languisheth, grows ordinarily peevish, and his mind bleeds by an inward wound, so that he spends his days in sighing, and his years in mourning. And others there are, who being before acquainted with bodily pains, grow very impatient in Sickness, and are able to bear nothing: and besides the present sense of pain, the expectation of Death puts some into great commotion, the fears of it, (for it is naturally dreadful) fills them with disquiet thoughts, and those that approach to the Grave, by slow steps, under Consumption or languishing Sicknesses, they are habituated to sadness, and can think of nothing cheerfully, (except they have great assurance of Salvation, and have well learned to die) because the Coffin, Grave, and Winding-sheet are still presented to them: these though they be very suitable Objects for Meditation, and (well improved) of great advantage for preparation to Death, yet doth Satan thereby (when it is for his purpose) endeavor to keep Men under grief, and to bereave them of their Peace.
6. Satan takes an advantage of trouble, from the Miseries of others. Sympathy is a Christian Grace; and to bear one another's Burthens, to mourn with those that mourn, shows us to be fellow-feeling Members of the same Body, for if one Member suffer, all the Members suffer with it. Yet are some Men naturally of so tender a Constitution, that Satan overdrives them herein, every common occasion will wound them: the usual effects of God's ordinary Providence on the Poor, Lame, or Sick, are deeply laid to Heart by them; and instead of being not unsensible of other Men's Miseries, they are not sensible of anything else, neither do they enjoy their own Mercies. And here, as Satan can every moment, present them with objects of pity, ordinary or extraordinary: so upon a religious pretence of merciful consideration, they are made cruel to themselves, refusing their own peace, because other Men are not at ease.
3. The third particular, promised to be explained for the discovery of these discomposures of Soul, was this; That by a concurrence of these and such like occasions, to such tempers, the Hearts of Men are disturbed, and their inward peace broken. This I shall evidence by these three things: 1. That these occasions meeting with such dispositions, do naturally raise great disturbances in their present working. 2. That they have a tendency to further trouble. 3. That Satan doth design, and hath it ordinarily in his power to discompose the Hearts of Men hereby.
1. That these occasions, meeting with such dispositions, do naturally raise great disturbances. This is evident from what hath been said already: for (1.) All these dispositions carry as much Fire in their own Bosomes, as is sufficient to burn up the standing Corn of any Man's peace. What is anger, but an inward burning, a restless confusion of the Spirits, sometime a Phrensy, a Distraction, a troubled Sea full of Rage, a wild Beast let loose? Envy, that is a fretful peevishness, a vexatious repining, needing no other Tormentors but its own furies, recoiling upon him that bred it, because it cannot wreak its spite upon its Objects. An envious Person is a Self-murderer by the verdict of Eliphaz, Job 5. 2. Wrath killeth the foolish Man, and envy slayeth the foolish one. This is not barely to be understood of its provoking the Judge of all the Earth to send down its deserved destruction, but also (if not chiefly) of its own corroding temper, which by long continuance wastes the Strength, and consumes the Body. Pride is a perpetual vexation, creating its troubles from its own Fancy: irregular covetings, keep a Man still upon the Rack, they make a Man like the Tantalus of the Poets, they give a Man a caninus Appetitus, a strong Appetite with excessive greediness, and restless pursuit, and constant dissatisfactions, he is ever gaping and never enjoying. Impatience is a wearisome conflict with a burden which it can neither bear, nor yet shake off; where all the Fruit of the vain labor amounts to no better account than this, that the Impatient makes his burden the greater, the bands that tie it on the stronger, and the Strength that should bear it the weaker. Lastly, an excess of Pity, multiplies wounds without cause, it hinders a Man to be happy, so long as there are any that are miserable: he is always (in reference to his quiet) at the Mercy of other Men, the afflicted can torment him at a distance; and, by a kind of Magic, make him feel the torments that are inflicted upon his Image. Who can deny, but that Men that are ridden by such vexatious dispositions, must lead an unquiet Life, and always be tossed with inward Tempests. Especially (2) when we consider, how fit the forementioned occasions are, to draw out these humors to their tumultuary extravagancies: a lighted Match and Gun-Powder, are not more exactly suited to raise a shaking Blast, than those occasions and tempers are to breed an inward annoyance. Some of these humors are so troublesome, that rather than they will want work, they will fight with their own Shadows, and by a perverseness of prejudicated Fancy, will create their own troubles, and the best of them, which seem sometime to take truce, and compose themselves to rest, while occasions are out of the way: yet they are quickly awakened, like sleeping Dogs that are roused with the least noise; what work then may we expect they will make when they are summoned to give their appearance upon a solemn occasion? But (3) if we should deal by instances, and bring upon the Stage the effects that have been brought forth by these concurring causes, it will appear that they make disturbances in good earnest: let us either view the furious fits, that have been like sudden Flashes, soonest gone; or their more lasting impressions, and we shall find it true. As to violent Fits, raised by such occasions and dispositions, examples are infinite. What rages, outrages, Madnesses, and extravagances have Men run into? Some upon provocations, have furiously acted savage cruelties, and for small matters have been carried to the most desperate revenges. Others have been brought to such violent commotions within themselves, that the frame of nature hath been thereby weakened, and overthrown. As Scilla, who in a strong passion, vomited Choler till he died. Some in their fury, have acted that which hath been matter of sorrow to them all their days. But (omitting the examples of Heathens and wicked Men) let us consider the wonderful transports of holy Men. Moses a Man eminent, beyond comparison, in Meekness; was so astonished with a sudden surprise of trouble, at the Sight of the Golden Calf, that he threw down the Tables of the Law, and brake them. Some indeed observe from thence, a significancy of Israel's breaking the Law, and forfeiting God's Protection, as his peculiar People, but this is more to be ascribed to the designment of Divine Providence, that so ordered it, than to the intendment of Moses, who no doubt, did not this from a sedate and calm deliberation, as purposing by this act to tell Israel so much; but was hurried by his grief (as not considering well what he did) to break them. Asa a good Man, when he was reproved by the Prophet, (instead of thankful acceptance of the reproof) grows angry, falls into a rage, and throws the Prophet into Prison. Elias, discomposed with Jezebels Persecution, desires that God would take away his Life. Jonah, in his anger, falls out with God, and justifies it when he hath done: surely such Fits as these proceeded from great inward combustion. Would Wise, Sober, holy Men have said or done such things, if they had not been transported beyond themselves? and though in such cases, the fits are soon over, yet we observe that some are apt to fall into such Fits often, and are so easily irritated, that (like the epileptick Person possessed by the Devil) upon every occasion, they are by him, cast into the Fire or into the Water, and by the frequent return of their Distemper are never at rest.
As to others, whose tempers are more apt to retain a troublesome Impression, 'tis very obvious that their discomposures have as much in length and breadth, as the other had in height. You may view Haman tormented under his secret discontent, which his Pride and Envy formed in him, for the want of Mordicai 's Obeysance: the Kings Favor, a great Estate, high Honor, and what else a Man could wish to make him content, are all swallowed up in this Gulf, and become nothing to him. You see Amnon vexed and sick, for his Sister Tamer, waxing lean from day today. You see Ahab (though a King, who had enough to satisfy his Mind) in the same condition for Naboth 's Vineyard. If you say these were wicked Men, who rid their Lusts without a Bridle, and used the Spur: look then upon better Men, and you will see too much. Rachel so grieves and mourns for want of Children, that she professeth her Life inconsistent with her disappointment, Give me Children, else I die. Hanna upon the same occasion weeps and eats not, and prays in the bitterness of her Soul, and the abundance of her complaint and grief. Jeremiah (being pressed with discouragements from the contradiction of evil Men) calls himself a Man of strife and contention to the whole Earth, Jer. 15. 10. his sorrows thence arising, had so imbittered his Life, that he puts a woe upon his Birth, Woe is me, my Mother, that thou hast born me a Man of Strife. Paul had a noble courage under manifold afflictions, he could glory in the Cross, and rejoice in persecutions: nevertheless, the greatness of his work, the froward perverseness and unsteadiness of Professors, (which put him under fears, jealousies, and new travel) the Miseries of Christians, and the care he had for the concerns of the Gospel, (which was a constant load upon his Mind, his Heart (like old Eli 's) trembling still for the Ark of God) made him complain as one worn out by the troubles of his Heart; 2 Cor. 11. 27. In weariness, and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? &c. For the Jews he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his Heart; and for the Gentiles he had perpetual fears. Now though he had a great share of divine Comforts intermixed, and a more than ordinary assistance of the Spirit, to keep him from sinful discomposure of Spirit (at least to such an height, as it ordinarily prevails upon others) yet was he very sensible of his burden, and doubtless the Devil labored to improve these occasions to weary out his strength. For by these, and such like things, he frequently vexeth the righteous Souls of the faithful Ministers of the Gospel from day today: so that their hearts have no rest, and their hands grow often feeble, and they cry out, O the burden! O the care! being ready to say as Jeremiah, chap. 20. 7. O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was decieved; I am a derision daily, everyone mocketh me. Thus say they, Did we ever think to meet with such disappointments such Griefs, from the Wilfulness, Pride, Weakness, Ignorance, Pettishness, Inconstancy, Negligence, and Scandals of Friends? and such Hatred, Contradictions, Scorns, and Injuries from Enemies? Were we free, what Calling would we not rather choose? what place would we not rather go to, where we might spend the remainder of our days in some rest and ease? Were it not better to work with our hands for a Morsel of Bread, for so might our Sleep be sweet to us at Night, and we should not see these sorrows? At this rate are good Men sometime disturbed, and the anguish of their Spirit makes their Life a burden.
2. Yet is not this all the disturbance that the Devil works upon our hearts by these things, (though these are bad enough) but they have a tendency to further trouble. Discomposures of Spirit, if they continue long, turn at last into troubles of Conscience. Though there is no affinity betwixt simple discomposure of Soul, and troubles of Conscience in their own nature; the objects of the former being things external, no way relating to the Souls Interest in God and Salvation, which are the objects of the latter: yet the effects produced by the prevalency of these disturbances, are a fit Stock for the ingrafting of doubts and questionings about our Spiritual condition. As Saul 's Father first troubled himself for the loss of his Asses, and sent his Son to seek them; but when he stayed long, he forgot his trouble, and took up a new grief for his Son, whom he feared he had lost in pursuit of the Asses. So is it sometime with Men, who after they have long vexed themselves for injuries or afflictions, &c. upon a serious consideration of the working, and power of these Passions, leave their former pursuit, and begin to bethink themselves in what a condition their Souls are, that abound with so much Murmuring, Rage, Pride, or Impatience, and then the Scene is altered, and they begin to fear they have lost their Souls, and are now perplexed about their Spiritual estate. To make this plain I will give some instances, and then add some reasons which will evidence that it is so, and also how it comes to be so.
For Instances, though I might produce a sufficient number to this purpose, from those that have written of Melancholy, yet I shall only insist upon two or three from Scripture.
Hezekiah when God smote him with Sickness, at first was discomposed upon the apprehension of Death, that he should so soon be deprived of the residue of his years, and behold Man no more with the inhabitants of the World, as he himself expresseth it, Isaiah 38. 10. afterward his trouble grew greater, He chattered as a Crane or Swallow, and mourned as a Dove, he was in great bitterness, ver. 17. and sadly oppressed therewith, ver. 14. That which thus distressed him was not simply the fear of Death, we cannot imagine so pious a Person would so very much disquiet himself upon that single account; but by the expressions which he let fall in his complainings, we may understand, that some such thoughts as these did shake him, that he apprehended God was angry with him, that the present stroke signified so much to him, all circumstances considered, (for he was yet in his strength, and Jerusalem in great distress, being at that time besieged by Sennacherib's Army, and for him to be doomed to death by a sudden message, at such a time, seemed to carry much in it) and that surely there was great provocation on his part; and it seems upon search, he charged himself so deeply with his sinfulness, that his apprehensions were no less, than that if God should restore him, yet in the sense of his vileness he should never be able to look up; I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul, ver. 15. (which expression implies a supposition of his Recovery, and a deep sense of Iniquity) and accordingly when he was recovered, he takes notice chiefly of God's love to his Soul, and the pardon of his sin, (which evidently discover where the trouble pinched him) Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back, verse. 17.
Job 's Troubles were very great, and his case extraordinary: Satan had maliciously stripped him of all outward Comforts, this he • ore with admirable Patience, Job 1. 21. Naked came I out of my Mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. The Devil seeing now himself defeated, obtains a new Commission, wherein Job is wholly put into his hand, (life only excepted, chap. 2. 9.) he sets upon him again, and in his new encounter labors to bring upon him spiritual distresses, and accordingly improves his losses and sufferings to that end, as appears by his endeavors and the success; for as he tempted him by his Wife to a desperate disregard of God, that had so afflicted him, Curse God and die, so he tempted him also by his Friends, to question the state of his Soul, and his Integrity, and all from the consideration of his outward miseries. To that purpose are all their discourses. Eliphaz Chap. 4. 5, 6, 7. from his sufferings and his carriage under them, takes occasion to jear his former Piety, (as being no other than feigned) It is come upon thee, and thou faintest: is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? that is, is all thy Religion come to this? and also concludes him to be wicked, Who ever perished being innocent? and where were the righteous cut off? Bildad, Chap. 8. 6, 13. chargeth him with Hypocrisy upon the same ground, and while he makes his defense, Zophar plainly gives him the lie, Chap. 11. 3. and at this rate they go their round; and all this while Satan (whose design it was to afflict his Conscience with the sense of divine Wrath) secretly strikes in with these Accusations, insomuch, that though Job stoutly defended his Integrity, yet he was wounded with inward Distresses, and concluded, that these dealings of God against him were no less than God's severe observance of his Iniquity; as is plain from his bemoaning himself in Chap. 10. 2. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore thou contendest with me. Vers. 16, 17. Thou huntest me as a fierce Lion, thou renewest thy Witnesses against me, &c.
David was a Man that was often exercised with Sickness and Troubles from Enemies, and in all the instances almost that we meet with in the Psalms, of these his Afflictions, we may observe the outward occasions of Trouble brought him under the suspicion of God's Wrath, and his Iniquity; so that he was seldom sick, or persecuted; but this called on the disquiet of Conscience, and brought his sin to remembrance; as Psal. 6. (which was made on the occasion of his Sickness, as appears from verse. 5.) wherein he expresseth the vexation of his Soul under the appehension of God's Anger; all his other griefs running into this Channel, (as little Brooks losing themselves in a great River) change their name and nature; he that was at first only concerned for his Sickness, is now wholly concerned with sorrow and smart under the fear and hazard of his Souls condition; the like we may see in Psal. 38. and many places more.
Having made good the assertion, That discomposures of Soul upon outward occasions, by long continuance and Satan's management, do often run up to spiritual distress of Conscience: I shall next for further confirmation and illustration show how it comes to be so.
1. Discomposures of Spirit do obstruct, and at last extinguish the inward comforts of the Soul: so that if we suppose the discomposed Person at first (before he be thus disordered) to have had a good measure of spiritual joy in God's favor, and delight in his ways; yet the disturbances, 1. Divert his thoughts from feeding upon these Comforts, or from the enjoyment of himself in them. The Soul cannot naturally be highly intent upon two different things at once, but whatsoever doth strongly engage the Thoughts and Affections, that carries the whole Stream with it, be it good or bad, and other things give way at present. When the heart is vehemently moved on outward Considerations, it lays by the thoughts of its sweetness which it hath had in the enjoyment of God; they are so contrary and inconsistent, that either our Comforts will chase out of our Thoughts our Discomposures, or our Discomposures will chase away our Comforts. I believe the Comforts of Elias (when he lay down under his grief, and desired to die); and of Jeremiah (when he cried out of violence) run very low in those fits of Discontent, and their Spirits were far from an actual rejoicing in God; but this is not the worst, we may not so easily imagine that upon the going away of the fit, the wonted Comforts return to their former course: For, 2. The Mind being distracted with its Burthen, is left impotent and unable to return to its former exercise; the warmth which the Heart had, being smothered and suspended in its excercise, is not so quickly revived, and the thoughts which were busied with disturbance (like the distempered humors of the Body) are not reduced suddenly to that evenness of composure as may make them fit for their old employment. And 3. If God should offer the Influences of joyful support, a discomposed Spirit is not in a capacity to receive them, no more than it can receive those counsels that by any careful hand are interposed for its relief and settlement. Comforts are not heard in the midst of noise and clamour; the calmness of the Souls faculties are praesupposed as a necessary qualification towards its reception of a message of Peace. Phineas his Wife being overcome of grief for the Arks captivity and her Husbands death, could not be affected with the joyful news of a Son. But 4. Sinful discomposures hinder these gracious and comfortable offers, if we could possibly (which we cannot ordinarily) receive them, yet we cannot expect that God will give them. The Spirit of Consolation loves to take up his lodging in a meek and quiet Spirit, and nothing more grieves him than Bitterness, Wrath, Anger, Clamour, and Malice, which made the Apostle, Eph. 4. 30, 31. subjoin his direction of putting these away from us, with his advice of not grieving the Spirit by which we are sealed unto the day of Redemption. And then 5. The former stock of Comfort, which Persons distempered with discomposures might be supposed to have, will soon be wasted, for our Comforts are not like the Oil in the Cruse, or Meal in the Barrel, which had (as it were) their Spring in themselves; we are comforted and supported by daily communication of Divine Aid, so that if the Spring head be stopped, the Stream will quickly grow dry. 'It is evident then, that inward Consolations in God will not ripen under these Shadows, nor grow under these continual droppings, seeing a discomposed Spirit is not capable to receive more, nor able to keep what comfort it had at first; we may easily see how it comes to pass that these disturbances may in time bring on spiritual troubles: for if our Comforts be once lost, Trouble of Conscience easily follows. Where there is nothing to fortify the Heart, the poison of malicious suggestions will unavoidably prevail.
2. Discomposures of Soul afford the Devil fit matter to work upon. They furnish him with strong objections against sincerity of Holiness, by which the peace of Conscience being strongly assaulted, is at last overthrown. The usual Weapons by which Satan fights against the assurance of God's Children, are the guilt of sins committed, and the neglect of Duty, and the disturbed Soul affords enough of both these to make a Charge against itself: For,
1. Where there is much Discomposure there is much Sin. If in the multitude of words there wants not Iniquity, then much more in the multitude of unruly thoughts. A disturbed Spirit is like troubled Water, all the Mud that lay at the bottom is raised up and mixeth itself with the Thoughts: If any injury or loss do trouble the Mind, all the Thoughts are tinctured with Anger, Pride, Impatience, or whatsoever root of bitterness was in the Heart before; we view them not singly as the issue of wise Providence, but ordinarily we consider them as done by such Instruments, and against our selves as malicious, spiteful, causeless, ingrateful wrongs, and then we give too great a liberty to our selves to rage, to meditate revenge, to threaten, to reproach, and what not? and if our Disposition have not so strong a natural inclination to these Distempers, yet the Thoughts by discomposure are quickly leavened (it is the comparison used by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 5. 8. to express the power of Malice, (which is an usual attendant in this service) to infect all the Imaginations) with a sharpness, which makes them swell into exorbitancy and excess; hence proceed Revilings, Quarrelings, &c. When the Tongue is thus fermented, it is a Fire, a World of Iniquity, (producing more sins than can be reckoned) it defileth the whole Body, (engaging all the faculties in heady pursuit,) Jam. 3. 6.
2. Discomposures obstruct Duties. This is the inconvenience which the Apostle (1 Pet. 3. 7.) tells us doth arise from disturbances among Relations; if the Wife or Husband do not carry well, so that discontents or differences arise, their Prayers are hindered. Duties then are obstructed, 1. In the Act. When the Heart is out of frame, Prayer is out of season, and there is an averseness to it; partly because all good things are (in such confusions) burthensome to the Humor that then prevails, which eats out all desire and delight to spiritual things: and partly because they dare not come into God's presence; conscience of their own guilt, and awe of God hindering such approaches. 2. They obstruct the right manner of Performance, straitening the Heart, and contracting the Spirit, that if anything be attempted, 'tis poorly and weakly performed. 3. And also the success of Duty is obstructed by discomposure. God will not accept such Services, and therefore Christ adviseth to leave the Gift before the Altar, (though ready for offering) where the Spirit is overcharged with Offences, or angry Thoughts, and first to go and be reconciled to our Brother, and then to come and offer the Gift, it being lost labor to do it before. From these sins of Omission and Commission, Satan can (and often doth) frame a dreadful charge against those that are thus concerned, endeavoring to prove by these evidences, that they are yet (notwithstanding pretence of Conversion) in the gall of Bitterness, and bond of Iniquity, whereby the peace of Conscience is much shaken; and the more, because also
3. These discomposures of Soul give Satan a fit season for the management of his Accusation: Strong Accusations do often effect nothing, when the season is unsuitable. Many a time he hath as much to say against the Comforts of Men, when yet they shake all off (as Paul did the Viper off his hand) and fell no harm. But that which prepares the Conscience to receive the Indictment, is a particular disposition which it is wrought into, by suspicious credulity and fearfulness: These make the Heart (as Wax to the Seal) ready to take any impression that Satan will stamp upon it: Now by long disturbances he works the Heart into this Mould very often, and upon a double account he gains himself a fit opportunity to charge home his exceptions. 1. In that he sets upon the Conscience with his Accusations, after the Heart hath been long molested and confused with its other Troubles; for then the Heart is weakened and unable to make resistance as at other times. An Assault with a fresh Party after a long conflict, disorders its Forces and puts all to flight. 2. In that long and great discomposures of Mind, bring on a distemper of Melancholy; for 'tis notoriously known by common experience, that those acid Humors (producing this distemper) which have their rise from the Blood, may be occasioned by their violent Passions of Mind, the Animal Spirits becoming inordinate (by long discomposures of Sadness, Envy, Terror, and fretful Cares) and the motion of the Blood being retarded, it by degrees departs from its temperament, and is infected with an acidity, so that Persons no way inclined naturally to Melancholy may yet become so, by the disquiets of their troubled Mind.
Both these ways, but chiefly Melancholy, the Devil hath his advantage for disturbing the Conscience. Melancholy (most naturally) inclines Men to be solicitous for their Souls welfare; but withal disposeth them so strongly to suspect the worst, (for 'tis a credulous suspicious humor in things hurtful) and afflicts so heavily with sadness for what it doth respect, that when Satan lays before Men of that humor their Miscarriages under their discontents, their Impatience, Unthankfulness, Anger, rash Thoughts and Speeches against God or Men, &c. withal suggesting that such an Heart cannot be right with God, after serious thoughts upon Satan's frequently repeated Charge, they cry out, Guilty, guilty, and then begins a new trouble for their Unregenerate Estate, and their supposed lost Souls.
4. In this case usually Satan hath greater liberty to accuse, and by his Accusations to molest the Conscience, in that Men of discomposed Spirits by the manifold evils arising thence provoke God to desert them, and to leave them in Satan's hand to be brought into an hour of Temptation. Satan's Commission is occasioned by our Provocations, and the Temptations arising from such a Commission, are usually dreadful; they are solemn Temptations, and called so after a singular manner; for of these I take those Scriptures to be meant, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into Temptation, Mat. 26. 41. And lead us not into Temptation, Mat. 6. 13. Such Temptations are not common Temptations, and are of unknown force and hazard to the Soul, which way soever they are designed, either for Sin or Terror. For several things do concur in a solemn Temptation: As, 1. Satan doth in a special manner challenge a Man to the Combat, or rather he challenges God to give him such a Man to fight with him, as he did concerning Job. This Christ tells us of, Luk. 22. 31. Simon, Satan hath desired to have you; the word signifies a challenging or daring, and it seems the Devil is oft daring God to give us into his hand, when we little know of it. 2. There is also a special suitableness of Occasion, and Snare, to the temper and state of Men. Thus he took Peter at an advantage in the High Priests Hall, and in the case we now speak of he takes advantage of Men's Provocations and Melancholy. 3. There is always a violent prosecution, which our Savior expresseth under the comparison of sifting, which is a restless agitation of the Corn, bringing that which was at the bottom to the top, and shuffling the top to the bottom, so that the Chaff or Dirt is always uppermost. 4. And to all this there is divine permission, Satan let loose and we left to our ordinary strength; as is implied in that expression, He hath desired to have you, that he might sift you. Now then if the Devil have such ground to give God a challenge concerning such Men, and if God do (as he justly may) leave such Men (whose bitterness of Spirit hath been as a smoke in his Nostrils all the day) in Satan's hand, he will so shake them, that their Consciences shall have no rest. And this he can yet the more easily effect, because
5. Discomposures of Spirit have a particular tendency to incline our thoughts to severity and harshness, so that those who have had long and great disturbances upon any outward occasions, of Loss, Affliction, or Disappointment, &c. do naturally think (after a solemn review of such troubles) harshly of God, and of themselves; they are ready to conclude that God is surely angry with them, in that he doth afflict them, or that they have unsanctified hearts, in that their thoughts are so fretful and unruly upon every inconsiderable petty occasion. 'It is so ordinary for Men under the weight of their Trouble, or under the sense of their Sin, to be sadly apprehensive of God's Wrath, and their Souls hazard, that it were needless to offer Instances; let David's case be instead of all. That his troubles begot such imaginations frequently, may be seen throughout the Book of the Psalms; we never read his complaints against persecuting Enemies, or for other Afflictions, but still his heart is afraid that God is calling Sin to remembrance; in Psa. 38. He is under great distress, and tells how low his Thoughts were; he was troubled, greatly bowed down, he went mourning all the day long; he expresseth his thoughts to have been, that God had forsaken him, ver. 21. and his hopes (though they afterward revived) were almost gone; he cries out of his sins, as having gone over his Head, and become a Burthen too heavy for him, ver. 4. and therefore sets himself to confess them, ver. 18. He trembles at God's Anger, and feels the Arrows of God sticking fast in him, ver. 2. But what occasioned all this? the Psalm informs us, God had visited him with Sickness, ver. 7. besides that (for one trouble seldom comes alone) his Friends were perfidious, ver. 11. his Enemies also were busy, laying Snares for his life, ver. 12. Now, his thoughts were to this purpose, that surely he had some way or other greatly provoked God by his Sins, and therefore he fears wrath in every rebuke, and displeasure in every chastisement, ver. 1. The like you may see in Psal. 102. where the Prophet upon the occasion of Sickness, ver. 3. and 23. and the reproach of Enemies, ver. 8. is under great trouble, and ready to fail except speedy relief prevent, ver. 2. the reason whereof was this, that he concluded these troubles were evident tokens of God's indignation and wrath, because of thine indignation and thy wrath, ver. 10. From these five particulars we may be satisfied that it cannot be otherwise, and also how it comes to be so, that sometime trouble of Conscience is brought on, by other discomposing troubles of the Mind. For if these take away the Comforts, which supported the Soul, and afford also arguments to the Devil to prove a wicked Heart, and withal a fit season to urge them to a deep impression, God in the mean time standing at a distance, and the thoughts naturally inclined to conclude God's Wrath from these troubles; how impossible is it that Satan should miss of disquieting the Conscience, by his strong vehement suggestions of wickedness and desertion?
In our enquiries after Satan's success in working these discomposures of mind, we have discovered, 1. That the disturbances thence arising are great; 2. That they have a tendency to trouble of Conscience. There is but one particular more to be spoken of relating to his success in this design, and that is,
3. These disturbances are much in Satan's Power. Ordinarily he can do it at pleasure, except when God restrains him from applying sit occasions, or when (notwithstanding these occasions) he extraordinarily suspends the effect, which he frequently doth when Men are enraged under suffering, upon the account of the Gospel and Conscience; for then though they be bound up under Affliction and Iron, yet the Iron enters not into the Soul; though they are troubled, they are not distressed. These Extraordinaries excepted, he can as easily discompose the Spirits of Men, as he can by Temptation, draw them into other Sins, which may be evidenced by these considerations:
1. We may observe, that those, whose passionate tempers do usually transport them into greater vehemencies, are never out of trouble. Their fits frequently return, they are never out of the Fire, and this is, because Satan is still provided of occasions suitable to their inclinations.
2. Though God, out of his common bounty to mankind, hath allowed him a comfortable being in the World, yet we find that generally the Sons of Men under their various Occupations and Studies, are wearied out with vexations of Spirit; this Solomon in Ecclesiastes discovers at large in various employments of Men, not exempting the pursuit of Wisdom and Knowledge, (chap. 1. 18. In much Wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth Knowledge increaseth sorrow) nor Pleasures, nor Riches, for by all these he shows that a Man is obnoxious to disquiets: so that the general account of Man's Life is but this, Eccles. 2. 23. All his days are sorrows, and his travel grief, yea his heart taketh not rest in the night. That it is so, is testified by common experience past denial; but how it comes to be so, is the enquiry: 'tis either from God, or from Satan, working by occasions upon our tempers. That 'tis not from God is evident: for though sorrow be a part of that Curse, which Man was justly doomed unto, yet hath he appointed ways and means by which it might be so mitigated, that it might be tolerable, without discomposure of Spirit; and therefore Solomon, designing, in his Ecclesiastes, to set forth the chief good, shows that felicity consists not in the common abuse of outward things, (because that brings only vexation) but in the fear of God leading to future happiness, and in the mean time, in a thankful, comfortable use of things present without anxiety of Mind. Hence doth he fix his conclusion (as the result of his experience) and often repeats it; There is nothing better for a Man, than that he should Eat and Drink, and that he should make his Soul enjoy good in his Labor. Eccles. 2. 24. & 3. 12, 13. & 5. 18, 19. Not that Solomon plays the Epicure, giving advice to eat and drink, for tomorrow we die; nor that he speaks deridingly to those that seek their felicity in this life, as if he should say, If ye do terminate your desires upon a terrene felicity, there is nothing better then to eat and drink, &c. But he gives a serious positive advice, of enjoying the things of this life with cheerfulness, which he affirms proceeds from the sole bounty of God, as his singular gift; It is the gift of God, Eccles. 3. 13. 'tis our portion, that is, our allowance, Eccles. 5. 19.) for these two expressions [our Portion, and God's gift] they are of the same signification with Solomon here) and when a Man hath power to enjoy this allowance in comfort, 'tis God that answereth him in the joy of his heart, ver. 20. 'It is plain then, that God sows good Seed in his Field; the springing up therefore of these Tares of vexation, which so generally afflict the Sons of Men, must be ascribed to this, the Enemy hath done it.
3. 'It is also a considerable ground of suspicion that Satan can do much in discomposures of Spirit, in that sometimes those whose tempers are most cool and calm, and whose singular dependence upon, and communion with God, must needs more strengthen them against these passionate vexations, are notwithstanding precipitated into violent commotions. Moses was naturally meek, above the common disposition of Men, and his very business was converse with God, whose presence kept his Heart under a blessed awe; yet upon the Peoples murmuring, he was so transported, with fullenness and unbelief at the waters of Meribah, Numbers 20. 10, 12. that it went ill with him: which David thus expresseth, Psal. 106. 33. they provoked his Spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his Lips. Who can suppose less in this matter, than that Satan, having him at advantage, hurried him to this rashness? specially seeing such vehemencies were not usual with Moses, and that his natural temper led him to the contrary. This hath some affinity with the next consideration, Which is,
4. That when Men most foresee the occasions of their trouble, and do most fear the trouble that might thence arise, and most firmly design to keep their hearts quiet, yet are they oft forced (against all care and resolution) upon extravagant heats. David resolved, and strenuously endeavored, to possess his Soul in Serenity and Patience, (for what could be more, than solemn engagement? Psal. 39. 1. I said I will look to my ways, and what endeavors could be more severe, than to keep himself as with Bit and Bridle? what care could be more hopeful to succeed, than to be dumb with silence?) yet for all this, he could not keep his Heart calm, nor restrain his Tongue, ver. 3. My Heart waxed hot within me, while I was musing, the Fire burned, then spake I with my Tongue. Who suspects not the hand of Satan in this?
5. 'It is also remarkable, that when we have least reason to give way to discomposure, when we have most cause to avoid all provocations, yet then we have most occasions set before us. When we would most retire from the noise of the World for private devotion, when we would most carefully prepare ourselves for a solemn Ordinance, if we be not very watchful, we shall be diverted by business, disturbed with noises, or some special occasion of vexation shall importune us to disquiet ourselves: when yet we shall observe, if we have not these solemn affairs to wait upon; we shall have fewer of these occasions of vexation to attend us. This cannot be attributed to mere contingency of occasions, nor yet to our tempers solely; for why they should be most apt to give us trouble, when they are most engaged to calmness, cannot well be accounted for; 'tis evidently then Satan, that maliciously directs these occasions (for they have not a malicious ingeniousness to prepare themselves, without some other chief mover) at such times as he knows would be most to our prejudice.
These general considerations amount to more than a suspicion that it is much in Satan's power to give disturbances to the Minds of Men; yet for the clearer manifestation of the matter I shall show, that he can do much to bring about occasions of discomposure, and also to stir up the Passions of Men upon these occasions.
1. That occasions are much in his hand, I shall easily demonstrate. For 1. There being so many occasions of vexation to a weak crasy Mind, we may well imagine, that one or other is still occuring, and while they thus offer themselves Satan needs not be idle for want of an opportunity. 2. But if common occasions do not so exactly suit his design, he can prepare occasions; for such is his foresight and contrivance, that he can put some Men (without their privity to his intentions, or any evil design of their own) upon such actions as may (through the strength of prejudice, misinterpretation, or evil inclination) be an offense to others; and in like manner, can invite those to be in the way of these offenses. I am ready to think, there was a contrivance of Satan (if we well consider all circumstances) to bring David and the Object of his Lust together; while Bathsheba was Bathing, he might use his Art in private motions to get David up to the Roof of his House. But more especially can the Devil prepare occasions that do depend upon the wickedness of his Slaves; these are Servants under his command, he can say to one, God, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes. If contempt, or injury, affronts or scorns, &c. be necessary for his present work against any, whom he undertakes to disturb, he can easily put his Vassals upon that part of the Service; and if he have higher employment for them, he ever finds them forward. And hence was it that when Satan designed to plunder Job, he could quickly perform it, because he had the Chaldeans and Sabaeans ready at a call. 3. If both these should fail him, he can easily awaken in us, the memory of old occasions that have been heretofore a trouble to us: these being raised out of their Graves, will renew old disturbances, working afresh the same disquiets, which the things themselves gave us at first.
If Satan's power were bounded here, and that he could do no more than set before Men occasions of vexation, yet we might justly, on that single account, call him the troubler of the Spirits of Men; considering, that naturally the thoughts of Men are restless, and their imaginations ever rolling. If Men sequester themselves from all business, if they shut themselves up from commerce with Men; turn Eremites, (as Jerome did) on purpose to avoid disquiet, yet their thoughts would hurry them from place to place, sometimes to the Court, sometimes to the Market, sometimes to Shows and Pastimes, sometimes to quarrellings, sometimes they view Fields, Buildings and Countries, sometimes they fancy Dignities, Promotions and Honors, they are ever working upon one object or other, real or supposed; and according to the object, such will the affections be, high or low, joyful or sorrowful: so that if the utmost of what Satan could do, were no more than to provide occasions, discomposures would follow naturally. The evil dispositions of Men would thereby be set a working, though Satan stood by as an Idle Spectator. The Serpent (in our Breasts, as Solomon tells us Eccles. 10. 11.) would bite without enchantment, that is, except it were charmed. But Satan can do more than tempt objectively, when he hath provided the Fuel he can also bring Fire: For,
2. He can also set our passions on work, and incense them to greater fury than otherwise they would arrive at. We see persons that are distempered with passion, may be whetted up to an higher pitch of rage, by any officious Flatterer, that will indulge the humor, and aggravate the Provocation. Much more then can Satan do it by whispering such things to our Minds as he knows will increase the Flame; and therefore is it, that where the Scripture doth caution us against anger, (as the proper product of our own corruption, calling it our wrath, Eph. 4. 26, 27.) There also it warns us against the Devil, as the incendiary, that endeavors to heighten it. And where it tells us of the disorders of the tongue (which, though a little Member, can of itself do great mischief, Jam. 3. 6.) there it also tells us, that the Devil brings it an additional Fire from Hell; It is set on Fire of Hell. And there are several ways by which Satan can irritate the Passions. As,
1. By presenting the occasions worse than they are, or were ever intended, unjustly aggravating all circumstances. By this means he makes the object of the passions the more displeasing, and hateful; this must of necessity provoke to an higher degree.
2. He can in a natural way move (as it were) the Wheels, and set the passions a going, if they were of themselves more dull and sluggish: for he hath a nearer access to our Passions than every one is aware of. I will make it evident thus: our Passions, in their workings, do depend upon the fluctuations, excursions and recursions of the Blood, and animal Spirits, as Naturalists do determines: Now that Satan can make his approaches to the Blood, Spirits and Humors, and can make alterations upon them, cannot be denied, by those that consider what the Scripture speaks in Jobs case, and in the cases of those, that were by possession of the Devil, made Dumb, Deaf or, Epileptick: for if he could afflict Job with grievous Boils, 'tis plain he disordered and vitiated his Blood and Humors, which made them apt to produce such Boils or Ulcers; and if he could produce an Epilepsy, 'tis evident that he could infect the Lympha with such a sharpness, as by vellicating the Nerves, might cause a Convulsion: and these were much more than the disorderly Motions of Blood, Spirits or Humors which raise the passions of Men. If any object to this, That then (considering Satan's malicious diligence) we must expect the Passions of Men would never be at rest. 'It is answered, that this power of Satan is not unlimited, but oft God prohibits him such approaches, (and without his leave he can do nothing); and also grace in God's Children, working calmness, submission and patience, doth balance Satan's contrary endeavor. For as hurtful and vexatious occasions, being represented by the Sence to the imagination; are apt to move the Blood and Spirits: so on the contrary, the Ballast of Patience and other Grace, doth so settle the Mind, that the Blood and Spirits are kept steady in their usual course.
3. When the Passions are up, Satan can by his suggestions make them more h • ady and violent. He can suggest to the Mind Motives and Arguments to forward it, and can stir up our natural corruption with all its powers to strike in with the opportunity. Thus he not only kindles the Fire, but blows the Flame.
4. And he can further fix the Mind upon these thoughts, and keep them still upon the Hearts of Men. And then they eat in the deeper, and like Poison, diffuse their malignity the further. We see that Men, who are at first but in an ordinary fret, if they continue to meditate upon their Provocation, they increase their vexation, and if they give themselves to vent their Passions by their Tongues, though they begin in some moderation, yet as motion causeth heat, so their own words whet their rage, according to Eccles. 10. 13. The beginning of the words of his Mouth is foolishness, but the latter end of his talk is mischievous madness. The same advantage hath Satan against Men by holding down their thoughts to these occasions of discomposure.
If occasions be so much in Satan's power, and he have also so great an hand over Men's Passions, 'tis too evident that he can do very much to discompose the Spirits of Men, that are naturally obnoxious to these troubles, except God restrain him, and Grace oppose him. Thus have I spoken my thoughts of the first sort of troubles, by which Satan doth undermine the peace of Men's Hearts.
CHAP. VII. Of the second way to hinder Peace. Affrightments, the general Nature and Burthen of them, in several Particulars. What are the Ways by which he affrights. 1. Atheistical Injections. Observations of his proceeding in them. 2. Blasphemous Thoughts. 3. Affrightful Suggestions of R • probation. Observations of his proceedings in that course. 4. Frightful Motions to S • n. 5. Strong immediate impressions of Fear. 6. Affrightful scrupulosity of Conscience.
THe next rank of troubles, by which the Devil doth endeavor to molest us, I call Affrightments. It is usual for those that speak of Temptations, to distinguish them thus: Some are (say they) Enticements, some are Affrightments; but then they extend these Affrightments further than I intend, comprehending under them, all those Temptations of sadness and terror, of which I am next to speak; but by Affrightments, I mean only these perplexities of Spirit into which Satan casts Men, by overacting their fears, or astonishing their minds, by injecting unusual and horrid thoughts against their consents. Some there are that have thought those Temptations, of which the Apostle complains 2 Cor. 12. 7. (there was given me a Thorn in the Flesh, the Messenger of Satan to buffet me) were of this kind, that is, horrid injections frequently repeated, as Men deal their blows in fighting. Gerson speaking of these, tells us they sometime come from the sole suggestion of Satan, troubling the fancy; and saying, deny God, Curse God, and then adds, such was the Thorn in the Flesh given to the Apostle. But whether this was the trouble of the Apostle, or some other thing (for several things are conjectured, and nothing can be positively proved) we are sure (from the sad experience of many) that such troubles he doth often give; which I shall first explain in the general, and then give a particular of these frightful injections.
1. To explain the nature and burden of this kind of trouble, I shall present you with a few observations about them. As,
1. These astonishing thoughts, are purely injections, such as Satan casts into the Mind, and not what the Mind of itself doth produce, as one expresseth it, they are more darting than reflecting. Not but that our natural corruption could of itself beget Blasphemous or Atheistical Thoughts, but when they have their rise from ourselves solely, they do not so startle us, having some share (at least) of our consent going along with them, they appear not so strange. But in this case in hand, Satan is the Agent, and Men are the Sufferers, their Understandings and Souls being busied all the while to repel them, with the utmost of their reluctances. And to those that do thus strive against them, making resistance with all their strength, with Tears and Prayers, they are only their Afflictions, but not their Sins. For the Thoughts are not polluted by the simple apprehension of a sinful Object, no more than the Eye is defiled by beholding loathsome and filthy things: for then should the Mind of Christ have been defiled, when Satan propounded himself, blasphemously, as the Object of his Worship, his Mind as truly apprehended the meaning of that saying [fall down and worship me] as ours can do, when he casts such a thing immediately into our Thoughts. Which is a consideration to be observed diligently, by those that meet with such sad exercise; if they do truly apprehend that they are but their sufferings, and that God will not charge the Sin upon them, they will more easily bear and overcome the trouble.
These injections are commonly impetuous and sudden, frequently compared to Lightning: and this is usually made a note of distinction, betwixt wicked blasphemous thoughts rising from our natural corruption, and darted in by Satan; the former being more leisurely, orderly, and moderate according to the usual course of the procedure of human thoughts, the latter usually accompanied with an hasty violence, subtly, and incoherently shooting into our Understandings, as Lightning into an House. So that all the Strength we have, can neither prevent them nor expel them, nor so much as mitigate the violence of them.
3. They are also for the most part incessant, and constant Troubl •• s, where they once begin. Though Satan hath variety, in regard of the matter of these amazing injections, (for sometimes he affrights one Man with blasphemous Thoughts, another, with Atheistical Thoughts, a third with grievous unusual Temptations to Sin, as Murder, &c.) yet, usually, he fixeth his Foot upon what he first undertakes. And as cunning Huntsmen, do not change their Game that they first rouse, that they may sooner speed in catching the Prey; so what frightful thought Satan begins the trouble with, that he persists in, and is withal so vehement in his pursuit, that he gives little intermission. He makes these unwelcome thoughts haunt them like Ghosts, whithersoever they go, whatsoever they do; he will give solemn onset it may be twenty or forty times in a day: and at this rate he continues, it may be for some considerable time, so that they are not quit of the trouble for several Months, or it may be Years.
4. The matter of these Affrightments, are things most contrary to the Impressions of Nature, or Grace, and therefore most odious and troublesome. When he is upon this design, things that are most contrary to the belief and inclination of Men are best for his purpose. As Men that intend to affright others, choose the most ugly visors, the strangest garbs and postures, and make the most uncouth inhumane noises; and the more monstrous they appear, the better they succeed in their purposes. Yet Satan doth not always choose the very worst, for then most of the troubles of this kind, would be about the same thing, but he considers the strength of our persuasions, our establishment in Truths, the probability or improbability of an after-game with us; and accordingly sometimes refuseth to trouble us with injections, contrary to what we are most firmly rooted in, choosing rather that which (though contrary to our thoughts and resolves) we have not been fixed in, without a great deal of labor, and which (if there be occasion) might most fitly be charged upon us as our own, so that (whereas other Suggestions would be slighted, as apparent Malice, and Scarecrows) these are most afflicting, (as being an assault against such a Fort which costs us much to rear, and which we are most afraid to lose,) and most liable to his accusation after a long continuance, as being the issue of our own unsettledness.
5. The first and most obvious effects of these injections, are the utmost abhorrency of the Mind, (which presently startles at the appearance of such odious things,) and the trembling of the Body, sometimes to an agony and fainting. The invasion of one single injection, hath put some into such an heart-breaking affrightment, that they have not recovered themselves in a whole days time. This trembling of the Body, and agony of the Mind, are the usual consequences of anything that is surprising, strange and fearful: and therefore is trembling of the Body made, by Divines, a mark to discover, that these hideous blasphemous thoughts are cast in by Satan, and have not their rise from our own hearts; for the horror of the mind is usually so great, when it is spoken to in this language, that it cannot bear up under its astonishment and trouble. Yea those very Men that are otherwise profane, and can with boldness commit great iniquities; cannot but shake, and inwardly concieve an unspeakable hatred at these monstrous suggestions.
6. These Affrightments are more common than Men are usually aware of; they are by some thought to be rare and extraordinary; but this mistake ariseth from the concealment of these kind of Troubles, those that are thus afflicted, are often ashamed to speak to others what they find in their own hearts: but if all would be so ingenuous as to declare openly what fearful imaginations are obtruded upon them, it would appear that Satan very frequently endeavor to trouble Men this way.
7. These are very grievous Bruthens, and hard to be born upon many accounts. (1.) Who can well express the inward torture and molestation of the Mind, when it is forced against its own natural bent and inclination, to harbor such Monsters within it self? how would nature reluct and abominate the drinking down of noisome pudled Water, or the swallowing of Toads and Serpents? (and hence was it that Persecutors in their devilish contrivances invented such kind of Tortures) and what less doth the Devil do, when he forceth Blasphemies upon their Thoughts? and commits a rape by a malicious violence upon their Imaginations? David under these Temptations, Psal. 73. 21. cries out, Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins: and it cannot be otherwise, for the reason already mentioned. Nature abhors to be forced to what is most contrary to itself, and so doth Grace. Now the things by which Satan works these Affrightments are contrary to Nature or Grace, or both together; and as they will strive to the utmost of their ability to cast out what is so opposite to them, so must the Devil to the utmost of his ability (if he would carry his design) strength himself in his force, and from hence (as when Fire and Water are committed together) ariseth a most troublesome conflict; and indeed if there were a compliance of our consent, there would be no Affrightment; neither can this kind of Temptation be managed, except there be the utmost dissent of the Mind. If any think there is no great ground for these Temptations, because some of the particulars by which he is said to affright Men are natural to us, as (for instance) Atheistical Thoughts (which are by some called the Master-vein of our original Corruption, and by others, said to be in the heart of every Man naturally) and then consequently not so troublesome as is imagined, &c. I answer, That when Divines call these, or blasphemous Thoughts, natural, they do not mean that they are natural impressions engraven on us by Creation (for they assert the contrary) that 'tis a natural and unextinguishable impression upon every Man that there is a God, &c. and usually give in this for proof, that the greatest Atheists in fear and extremity will manifest a secret belief of a Deity, by calling out, O God, &c. or by some other posture, (as Caligula by hiding himself when it thundered) but they mean only, that our natural corruption may produce these Thoughts, and that they are the natural issues thereof; and therefore Perkins in answer to a question of this nature, tells us, that these two Thoughts [there is a God] and [there is no God] may be, and are both in the same heart. Now as this will give us the reason why Satan doth make choice of these Thoughts to trouble us withal, which may also rise from ourselves, (which I have hinted before, and shall presently again touch upon:) so it tells us still, that whether these Thoughts arise from our own Corruption, or from Satan, our natural impressions are strong against them, and withal that they cannot be so affrightful but when Satan doth manage them, and when the contrary impressions of Nature are awakened to give strong resistance, and then that struggling must be as the tearing of our Bowels, and still the worse in that we are incessantly pursued: Satan still casting back (with unwearied labor) the same Thoughts as they are repulsed and rejected; as Soldiers that besiege Cities use to cast over the Walls their fired Granado's. (2.) These are also grievous, as they set the Mind upon the Rack, and stretch it under laborious and doubtful enquiries after the grounds or causes of this kind of trouble, for the Heart astonished with such cursed Guests against his Will, presently reflects upon God and itself, What have I done? and wherefore am I thus disquieted with Monsters? why doth the Righteous Lord suffer Satan to break open my Heart, and fill me with such fearful Thoughts? but when Men's enquiries are not so high, but detained in a consideration of the nature of the trouble and manner of its working, without looking up to the Providence of God, then are their troubles increased. (3.) As these Injections necessitate Men in their own defense, to oppose, and every way to resist, 'tis an increase of the Burthen: What Pleadings are they put to? what Defiances? what endeavors to call off the thoughts? and all to little purpose; while the trouble continues, they are forced to lie in their Armor, and to be constantly in their Ward. (4.) And yet are they further troublesome in the After-Game that Satan plays by these Thoughts. 'It is not all of his design to affright Men, but he usually hath another Temptation to come in the rear of this, and that is to turn these Affrightments into Accusations, and by urging them long upon the hearts of Men, to make them believe that they are their own Thoughts, the issues of their own natural Corruption, and after Men are by continual Assaults weakened, their Senses and Memory dulled, their Understanding confounded, &c. they easily conclude against themselves; The Tempter imputes all the horrid Blaspemy to them, boldly calls them guilty of all; and because their Thoughts have dwelt long upon such a Subject, and withal knowing that corrupt Nature of itself will lead Men to such horrid Blasphemies or Villanies (which makes it probable that it might be their own fault, and for this reason Satan makes choice of such Injections as may in the Accusation seem most likely to be true) being strongly charged as guilty, they yield; and then begins another trouble more fearful than the former: Oh! what sad thoughts have they then of themselves? as the most vile blasphemous Wretches! sometimes they think, that 'tis impossible that other Men's Hearts should entertain such intolerable things within them as theirs; and that none was ever so bad as they: sometimes they think, that if Men knew what vile imaginations and monstrous things are in their Minds, they would in very Zeal to God and Religion stone them, or at least exclude them from all commerce with Men; sometimes they think their Sin to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost; sometimes they think God is engaged in point of Honor to show upon them some remarkable Judgment, and they verily look for some fearful stroke to confound them, and live under such a frightful expectation. These and many more to this purpose are their thoughts, so that these Temptations are every way troublesome both in their first and second effects.
Thus I have in the general expressed the nature of these affrightments; what the particular injections are by which he studies to affright Men, I shall next declare. They are principally six:
1. Atheistical Thoughts. By injecting these into the Mind, he doth exceedingly affright Men, and frequently for that end doth he suggest, that there is no God, and that the Scriptures are but delusive contrivances, &c. Concerning these I shall note a few things. As,
1. Though there be an observable difference betwixt Atheistical injections, and Temptations to Atheism, not only in the design, (Satan chiefly intending seduction in the latter, and affrightment by the former) but also in the manner of proceeding: (for when he designs chiefly to tempt to Atheism, he first prepares his way by debauching the Conscience with vicious or negligent living. According to Psal. 14. 1. that which makes Men say in their Hearts there is no God, is this, that they are corrupt, and have done abominable works; and in this method was famous Junius tempted to Atheism. But when he chiefly intends to affright, he sets upon Men, that by a watchful and strict conversation cut off from him that advantage) yet he doth so manage himself, that he can turn his course either way, as he finds probability of success after trial; for he presseth on upon Men most, where he finds them most to yield, so that those who were but at first affrighted, may at last be solemnly persuaded and urged to believe the suggestion to be true, if they give him any encouragement for such a procedure.
2. Contemplative Heads and great Searchers are usually most troubled in this manner, partly because they see more difficulties than other Men, and are more sensible of Human inability to resolve them, and partly because God (who will not suffer his Children to be tempted above what they are able) doth not permit Satan to molest the weaker sort of Christians with such dangerous assaults.
3. Persons of eminent and singular Holiness may be (and often are) troubled with Atheistical thoughts, and have sad conflicts about them, Satan laboring (where he cannot prevail for a positive entertainment of Atheism) at least to disquiet their Minds by haunting them with his Injections, if not to weaken their assent to these Fundamental Truths, in which he sometimes so prevails, that good Men have publicly professed, that they have found it an harder matter to believe that there is a God, than most do imagine.
4. Satan lies at the catch in this design, and usually takes Men at the advantage, suddenly setting upon them, either in the height of their Meditations and Enquiries into Fundamental Truths, (for when they soar aloft, and puzzle themselves with a difficulty, then is he at hand to advise them to cut the knot which they cannot unloose) or in the depth of their Troubles, (for when Men cannot reconcile the daily Afflictions and Sufferings which they undergo, with the love and care of God toward his Children, then 'tis Satan's season to tell them that there is no supreme Disposer of things); in both these cases the Devil leaps upon them unawares (like a Robber out of a Thicket) who if he do not wound them by the Dart of Atheistical Injection, at least he is sure to astonish them, and to confound them with amazement. For,
5. Sometimes he pursues with wonderful violence, and will dispute with admirable subtlety, urging the inequality of Providence, the seeming contradictions of Scripture, the unsuitableness of Ordinances to an infinite Wisdom and Goodness, with many more Arguments of like kind; and this with such unexpected acuteness, and seeming demonstration, that the most holy Hearts and wisest Heads shall not readily know what to answer, but shall be forced to betake themselves to their Knees, and to beg of God that he would rebuke Satan, and uphold them that their Faith fail not: Nay, he doth not only dispute, but by urging, and (with unspeakable earnestness) threaping the Conclusion upon Men, doth almost force them to a Perswasion, so that they are almost carried off their Feet whether they will or no. Which was the very case of David (when the Devil pursued him with Atheistical thoughts on the occasion of the prosperity of wicked Men, and his daily Troubles,) Psal. 73. 2. My Feet were almost gone, my Steps had well-nigh slipped.
6. Yet for all this, he sometimes lays aside his Sophistical Subtilty, and betakes himself to an Impudent Importunity; for sometimes he insists only on one Argument, not changing that which he first took up, nor strengthening his Suggestion with variety of Arguments, but by frequent repetition of the same Reason, persists to urge his injected Atheism. This gives no discovery of any deep reach if he designed to persuade, (for 'tis scarce rational to imagine, that serious Men, who by many Arguments are fully persuaded there is a God, should readily lose their hold upon the appearance of one Objection,) but it shows that he purposeth only to molest. And this appears more evidently, when he contents himself with weak and trivial Arguments, which the afflicted Party can answer fully, and yet cannot for all that quit themselves of the trouble: for instance, 'It is not very many years since a serious and pious Person came to me, and complained, that he could not be at rest for Atheistical thoughts that perpetually haunted him, and upon a particular enquiry into the cause and manner of his Trouble, he told me the first rise of it was from his Observation, that I had interpreted some Scriptures otherwise than he had heard some others to have done; but withal, he added, that he knew the reason of his perplexity was but silly, and that which he could easily answer: This being no just charge against the Scripture, (whose sense and truth might for all that be one, and uniform to itself) but only an implication of Human weakness appearing in the different apprehensions of Expositors; yet notwithstanding, he affirmed he could not shake off the trouble, and that his thoughts were ever urged with the same thing for a long time together; nay, such is his impudency in this kind of trouble, that those who know 'tis the best way not to dispute Fundamentals with Satan, but with abhorrency to reject him (after the example of Christ) with a Get thee behind me Satan, and accordingly do with their utmost strength reject them, yet they find that he doth not readily desist.
How sad is this Trouble? how are pious Persons affrighted to see the Face of their Thoughts made abominably ugly and deformed by these violent and unavoidable Injections? 'tis not only wearisome to those that know it to be solely Satan's malice, but it often proves to be an astonishing surprisal: like that of a Traveler, who while he passeth on his way without foresight or thought of danger, is suddenly brought to the top of a great Precipice, where when he looks down to the vast deep below, his Head swims, his Heart pants, his Knees tremble, and the very fear of the sudden danger so confounds him that he is (through excessive dread) ready to fall into that which he would avoid: so are these amazed at so great hazards before them. Satan could not by all his Art prevail with them to abandon the holy ways of God in exchange for the pleasures of Sin, and now they seem to be in danger to lose all at once, and yet 'tis more affrightful by far to those that charge (though Satan's cunning) all this Atheism upon themselves.
2. Another affrightful Injection; is that of blasphemous Thoughts, as that God is not just, not compassionate, that Scriptures and Ordinances are but low and sorry things, &c.
That Satan doth delight to force such Thoughts upon Men, is evident, (1.) From his Nature. He is a blasphemous Spirit, and withal so malicious, that whatsoever is in his cursed Mind, he will be ready to vent upon all occasions. (2.) From his Practice: for where he can obtain the rule over Men's Imaginations, (as in some distracted Persons, and those that are distempered with Fevers,) he usually makes them vomit for • Oaths, Cursings, and Blasphemies, and this he doth to some that (while they have had the use of their Reason) have not been observed to give their Tongue the liberty of swearing, or cursed speaking. (3.) From his professed Design in the case of Job, concerning whom he boasted to God himself, that he would make him curse him to his face, and accordingly tempted him by his Wife to curse God and die. (4.) From the sad experience of those that have suffered under this sad Affliction; for many have complained of blasphemous Thoughts, and those whom he cannot conquer, he will thus trouble. Neither need we think it strange that the Devil can impress Blasphemies upon the Imaginations of Men against their wills, when we consider that he could make Saul (in his fits) to behave himself like an inspired Person, and cause him to utter things beyond, and unsuitable to his disposition, (after the rate and manner of those raptures which Idolatrous Priests used to be transported withal:) this in 1 Sam. 18. 10. is called Saul's prophesying, when the evil Spirit from the Lord vexed him; and is the same with that which is spoken concerning Baal 's Priests, 1 King. 18. 29. They prophesied until the time of the offering of the Evening Sacrifice; that is, they were exercised with Trances and rapturous Furies, in which they uttered strange Sounds and Speeches. How easily then may Satan possess the Fancies of Men with Blasphemies? so that the unwilling may be troubled with them, and those that are deprived of the benefit of Reason, may (from the power of the impression upon their imagination) vent them with a kind of unwilligness.
Melancholy Persons do very frequently meet with this kind of Trouble, Satan having a great power upon their Imagination, and great advantages from the darkness of that Humor, to make the fear arising from such thoughts the more astonishing, and to delude them into an apprehension that they are guilty of all that passeth through their thoughts, and also to work this perplexity to more dismal effects. In these kind of Men he doth play the Tyrant with such Injections, abusing them to such an height, as if they were his Vassals and Slaves, whose Thoughts and Tongues were in his (and not their own) keeping; and so strongly doth he possess them with this perplexity sometimes, that all the counsels, reasonings, or advice of others, cannot in the least satisfy or relieve them; yet notwithstanding I have known several under this Affliction, who (when by Physic, the state of their Bodies hath been altered) have found themselves at ease immediately, the Trouble gradually and insensibly ceasing of itself.
Others there are that have great vexation from these Thoughts, and these are commonly such as by some long and grievous Pain, Sickness or other Crosses, have their Spirits fretted and imbittered; then is Satan ready to suggest, that God is cruel, or regardless of his People; and these Thoughts are the more dreadful, because fretting and murmuring Spirits have a natural tendency to to think harshly of God; so that Satan in this case doth with the more boldness obtrude these Suggestions upon them, finding so great a forwardness toward such Imaginations, and also with greater severity he doth reflect upon them, as being in some likelihood compliant and consenting.
When other Persons (not so concerned as these two sorts of Men above mentioned) are assaulted with blasphemous thoughts, the fits are less permanent, and (because they easily discover the design, and Author of them) not highly affrightful, though still troublesome.
The burden of these injections are much like the former, very sadly afflicting. For who can easily bear the noise of Satan while he shouts continually into their Ears odious Calumnies, and Blasphemous Indignities against God? David could not hear wicked Men blaspheme God, but it was as a Sword in his Bones, exceeding painful: the impressions of Nature, (that teach us to revere and honor God) the power of Education (that confirms these impressions) the persuasion of Faith (that assures us of the reality and infinite Excellency of a Godhead) and the force of Love (that makes us more sensibly apprehensive of any Injury, or Dishonor done to him whom we love above all): all these do suffer by these violent Incursions of Satan, and the Sufferer finds himself to be pained and tortured in these noble parts. How grievous must it be to a Child of God, to have his Ear chained to these intolerable ingrateful Reproaches? Especially when we consider that the Devil will in this case, utter the most dreadful Blasphemies he can devise, which will still add to the Affliction, (for even those Men that through habit, can well bear ordinary petty Oaths, will yet startle at outrageous prodigious Swearing) and therefore what ever Covert and consequential Blasphemies may be to some Men, these impudent hideous abuses of the Holy and Just God, must needs sadly trouble those that are forced to hear them. And the more constant the greater trouble. Who would not be weary of their Lives, that must be forced to undergo this Vexation still without intermission? And yet, the Devil can advance the trouble a little higher by the Apparatus, or Artificial Dread, which he puts upon the Temptation in the manner of the injection. As the Roaring of the Lion increaseth terror in the Beasts of the Field, who without that, would tremble at his presence; and as the Thundering and Lightning at the giving of the Law, increased the fear of Israel; So when Satan is upon this design, he shakes as it were the House, and makes a noise that the fright may be increased.
3. Suspicious fears of being excluded out of God's eternal Decree of Election, is another of his affrightments. This is, when Satan boldly takes upon him to determine God's secret Counsel concerning any Man; peremptorily asserting, that he is none of God's Elect. In which case he often doth only inject the suspicion confidently, without offer of Proof; or if he use Arguments, they never amount to a proof of his Assertion, (neither is it possible they should, for these are among God's secrets, and out of Satan's reach) though possibly they may prove the Person to be not Converted at present. So that this kind of trouble differs exceedingly, from those disquiets of Temptation, which frequently Men suffer about their state of Regeneration. And indeed, the Question should not be confounded, it being of great concern to Men, when their Peace is assaulted, to be able to observe the difference betwixt these two Assertions, Thou art not Elected: And, Thou art not yet Regenerated. Seeing the latter being granted, there yet remains a hope of the Probability, or Possibility of that Mans Conversion afterwards: (the suspicions of Non-conversion are more common, and not so dangerous); Nay, in Unregenerate Persons, the fears of their being yet in that condition (being joined with diligence and care to avoid the danger) are necessary, and advantageous; but) the former being granted, all hopes are, together with that concession, laid off, which must needs make the affrightment intolerable. In this we may observe,
1. That Satan for the better management of this Design, doth not only inject these suspicions in the most dreadful Language, (as Thou art a lost and damned Wret • h, hopelesly miserable to all Eternity: God hath not Elected thee to Life, but prepared for thee (as a Vessel of wrath) the Lake of fire and Brimstone forever, &c.) But also he doth assert them with the highest Peremptoriness imaginable, as if he had Authority from God to pronounce a Sentence of Condemnation against a Man: This must needs amaze the Afflicted unspeakably.
2. In this he also observe his Advantages: For there are some Men so sadly suited to this Design, that Satan comes better to speed upon them, than others. Usually he fixeth his Eyes, 1. Upon young Persons at their first serious attendances upon, and considerations of Scripture Truths. Their hearts are then tender, (Youth hath a natural tender-heartedness; we find them coupled together in Rehoboam 's Character, 2 Chron. 13. 7. When Rehoboam was young, and tender-hearted) and they are apt to receive strong impressions. When those who were formerly mindless of their Spiritual concern, begin to be serious, they can no sooner fall upon a Consideration of those weighty Doctrines: That there are Sheep and Goats, some Saved, and some Damned; that the Blessed are few, in comparison of the many that take the Broad-way to destruction, and that these were from Eternity ordained unto Life, and these only, &c. No sooner (I say) begin they to ponder these things, but Satan is ready with this suspicion, And what dost thou know, but thou art one of these excluded Wretches? If but few are saved, a thousand to one thou art none of them? For why should God look upon thee more than another? These are his first Assays with Young-Men, beginning to be serious, in which afterward he proceeds with greater boldness, as he seeth occasion. 2. He also doth this to Persons that are some way quickened to a devotional fear of God, and care of their Souls, but withal are ignorant, and not able distinctly to apprehend, and orderly to range the Doctrines of the Scriptures into a due consistency with one another. Their careful fears make them inquire into what God hath said concerning the everlasting state of Men; and before they can be able to digest the Principles of Religion, Satan sets some Truths edge-ways against them, which put them into great affrightment, while (through their ignorance) other Truths (appointed and declared for the satisfaction of the minds of those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness) cannot come in to their relief. How startling must the truths of God's Election be, when they stand forth alone, and are not accompanied with the Invitations of the Gospel, that promise Pardon and Acceptance to all that will come in and submit to Christ? Satan usually holds such kind of Men, to the consideration of those Truths, that have the most dismal Aspect, and while they are stopped there, they can draw forth no other conclusions than these, That they are in hazard, and for ought they know, utterly lost. 3. Satan hath also this Plot against those that by some grievous iniquity, or long continuance in sin, have highly provoked the Lord. Here he useth Arguments from the heinousness of their Iniquity; thou art a Reprobate, because thou hast committed these great evils, these are marks of Damnation, &c. Which Arguments, though they be of no value, and no way proving that for which they are brought, yet Satan injecting suspicions, and their own Consciences in the mean time justly accusing, they so sink under their fear, that they suffer Satan to make what conclusion he will, and then they subscribe to it. 4. Above all, Melancholy Persons give the Devil the greatest advantage to raise affrightments. That Distemper naturally fills Men with sad thoughts, and is credulous of the worst evil that can be objected against him that hath it. Of itself, it can create the blackest Conceits, and saddest Surmises, and then believes its own fancy. When Satan strikes in with this Humour, they are the more confirmed in their Suspitions, and the Fright is the greater, because they are as Incredulous of what is good (if it be told them) as they are apt to believe what is evil, and to believe it, because they fear it; though no other reason were offered: But much more when Satan in a Prophetick manner foretells their misery, and assures them they must never be happy.
3. The suspicions which the Devil hath by these advantages raised up, he doth endeavor to increase, and to root them deeply in the minds of them, upon whom he hath thus begun: And indeed, by frequent inculcating the same thing with his continued peremptoriness of asserting the certainty of their Non-election, he at last brings up very many to a full persuasion that it is so; and besides other Arts that he may have, or exercise in this particular, he commonly practiseth upon Men, by perverting the true Intendment and use of the Doctrine of Election. That there is such a thing as Election, and that of a determinate number, are Truths undeniable; and the end of their discovery in the Gospel, is the comfort and confirmation of the Converted. Here they may see God's unchangeable love to them, how much they stand engaged for the freeness of Grace, and that the Foundation of God is sure, &c. For to this purpose doth our Savior improve these Doctrines, John 17. 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16. But nothing of this is spoken to discourage any Man from his endeavors, neither can any Man, prove that he, or any other, is excluded out of the decree of Election, (except in case of the sin against the Holy Ghost); neither is it possible for the Devil to prove any such thing against any Man; neither ought any to suppose himself not Elect: But on the contrary, if he is willing to forsake sin, and desirous to be reconciled to God, he ought to apprehend a probability, that he is Elected, because the proffer of Christ is made to all that will receive him. And therefore should Men stop their ears against such Suggestions, and not dispute that with Satan, but rather hearken to the Commands, Exhortations, and Promises of Scripture, it being most certain that these secret things belong to God, Deut. 29. 29. and are no Mans rule to walk by, seeing revealed things only belong to us. All this the Devil perverts, for he endeavors to make Election the immediate Object of our Faith, and our Rule to walk by; as if it were necessary that every Man knew God's eternal purpose concerning him, before he begin his endeavors. And as he argues some Men into a perverse carelessness upon the ground of Election, making them to conclude, that If they are ordained to Life, they shall be saved, though they live wickedly; if they be not, they shall be damned, though they endeavor never so much to the contrary. So he also argues some, from this Doctrine, into terrible fears of Damnation, because they cannot be assured aforehand, that their names are written in Heaven. And these dreadful suspicions he doth labor to strengthen, by some Men's unwary handling of the Doctrine of Non-election; when some Preachers unskilfully urge the dangerous signs of Reprobation, or speak severely of God's Decrees, without due caution and promise of Mercy to all penitent Sinners. Or when some, unskillful in the methods of comforting the distressed in Conscience, because they are not able to show the Afflicted their Condition, or to speak a word in season to quiet their Minds, and to direct them what course to take, do usually refer them to God's Decree, and tell them, If God have decreed them to Salvation, they shall be saved. Satan doth industriously hold them there, by this means he leads them from the Promises and their Duty, and keeps them musing and poring upon Election, till they are bewildered, and cannot find the way out. Thus have several continued under their Affrightments for many Years.
4. We may observe, That when Satan hath brought them into this snare, he doth tyrannically domineer over them. He doth deride them under their trouble, and mock at them when their fear comes upon them. And because now the very thought, or hearing of Election is as a Daggar to the heart, and a dreadful sound in their Ears, he delights to repeat it to them; for the very naming of the word, becomes as dreadful, as the sentence of Condemnation to a Malefactor, being always accompanied with this Reflection; Oh how miserable am I, that have no part nor portion in it! Besides, he doth busy their minds with imaginary representations of Hell, and sets before them as in a Scheme, the day of Judgment, the terrors of the Damned, the sentence against the Goats on the Left-hand, the intolerable pains of everlasting Burnings, and (that which is the misery of all these Miseries) the Eternity of all. Thus he forceth their Meditations, but still with Application to themselves; neither doth he suffer them to rest in the Night, but they are terrified with sad Dreams, and the Visions of the Night do disquiet them.
5. How grievous this Affrightment is, I should next observe, but that is partly expressed in the aforegoing Particulars, and may yet more fully appear by a consideration of these 3 things. 1. That a Man hath nothing dearer to him than his Soul: Alas, that cannot be counterballanced by the gaining of the whole World, and to have no hope or expectancy of its Salvation, must needs be terribly affrightful. 2. These suspicions of Non-election prevailing, all Promises and Comforts are urged in vain, and they commonly return them back again to those that offered them, with this reply: They are true, and useful to those unto whom they appertain, but they belong not unto me. Nay, all means are rejected as useless. If such be advised to Pray, or Read, they will in their fit of Affrightment refuse all; upon this reason, that they are not Elected. And then to what purpose (say they) is Prayer, or any endeavors? For who can alter his Decree? And indeed, if their Affrightments continued at an height without intermission, they would never do anything; but this is their help, that some secret under-ground hopes which they espy not, do revive at least sometimes, and put them upon endeavors, which (through God's blessing) become means of better information. 3. Though Satan's injections of Non-election be altogether unproveable, and withal so terrifying, that it might be supposed Men should not be forward in their belief of so great an unhappiness: Yet can he prevail so far, that the Persons above named (especially the Melancholy) are made to believe him, and this chiefly by possessing their imaginations, with his frequent confident Affirmations. We see it is a common practice to teach Birds Musical Notes and Sounds, which is only by constant repetition, till a strong Impression is made upon their Fancy: And thus may one Man impose upon the imagination of another with his Songs, or Sayings: for what we hear often, we cannot forbear to repeat in our thoughts, being strongly fixed upon our Fancy. No wonder then, if Satan by often repeating, Thou art not Elected, thou art Damned, &c. do form so strong an impression upon the imagination, that poor amazed Creatures learn to say after him, and then take the Ecchoes of their Fancy, to be the voice of Conscience condemning them. Now then, if the unhappiness (suspected) be the greatest beyond all comparison, if these suspicions entertained cut off all succors of Comfort that may arise from the Promises of God, and the endeavors of Man, if Satan can prevail with Men to entertain them with any persuasion (as we see he can) how dreadfully will these persuasions recoil upon a Man? And thus will his thoughts run, I am persuaded I am not Elected; and if not Elected, then Comforts and Prayers are all in vain; and if these be in vain, there is no possibility of Salvation, nor the least hope of a who knows, or a peradventure; and if that, Oh unspeakably miserable? Under these astonishing thoughts doth Satan exercise their hearts by suspicions of Non-election. But
4. Sometimes he takes another Course to affright Men, and that is by injecting Motions of some abominable Sin, or evil into their minds, to the commission whereof he seems strongly to solicit; yet not with any full intention, or expectation of prevalency, but with a purpose to molest and disquiet. And for that end, he commonly chooseth such sins as are most vile in their own Nature, and most opposite to the Dispositions of Men: Thus he injects thoughts of Uncleanness to a chaste Person; thoughts of injustice and wrong to a Just Man; thoughts of revenge and cruelty to a Week Man; thoughts of rejoicing in the loss and misery of others to the Merciful Man. Or else he injects motions to such sins, wherein formerly Men have been overtaken, but have been made bitter by deep repentance; the very thoughts whereof are now become most loathsome. And sometimes he pursues Men with thoughts of Self-Murder, even while there is nothing of discontent or trouble in their Minds, to second such a Temptation. By this manner of proceeding, he creates great Affrightments to the Hearts of men. For
1. These are strange Surprisals; and Persons under this kind of Trouble, cannot but be amazed to find such thoughts within them, which are most contrary to their Dispositions, or their most serious Resolves. The chaste Person tempted to Uncleanness, or the just man to Revenge; the humble Person urged to the same Sin that cost him so dear, &c. They wonder at their own Hearts, and while they mistake these Temptations, by judging them to be the issues of their own Inclination, with astonishment they cry out, Oh I had thought that I had mortified these Lusts, but what a strange Heart have I? I see sin is a strong in me as ever? And I have cause to fear myself, &c.
2. And this is yet a greater trouble, because usually Satan takes them at some advantage of an offered occasion, or opportunity, then he gives them a sudden push, and with importunity urgeth them to take the time; this often affrights them into Trembling, and their Fears do so weaken their purposes, that their hazards are the greater, in that they are astonished into an Inactivity. So that in this case, the Men of Might do not readily find their Hands.
3. Neither are these motions sudden and transient glances, which perish as soon as they are born, (though it be a very frequent thing with Satan to cast in motions into the Heart for trial sake, without further prosecution) but he (in this case) pursues with frequent Repetitions, following hard after them, to the increase of the Affrightment. So that for a long time together Men may be afflicted with these Messengers of Satan to buffet them; and though they may Pray earnestly against them that they may be removed, yet they find the motions continue upon them. Which must needs be an hateful annoyance to an upright Heart, that doth know it to be only Satan's design to affright, much more must it afflict those that do not perceive the Contriver and end of such motions, but judge them to be the natural workings of their own evil Heart.
4. Satan can also affright Men by immediate impressions of Fear upon their minds. He can do much with the imagination, especially when Persons are distempered with Melancholy; for such are naturally fearful, and any impressions upon them have the deepest, most piercing operation. They are always framing to themselves dismal things, and abound with black and dark Conceits; surmising still the worst, and always incredulous of what is good. Hence it is that sometimes Men are seized upon by Fearfulness and Trembling, when yet they cannot give any tolerable account of a cause, or reason, why it should be so with them. And others are excessively astonished with the shadows of their own thoughts, upon the meanest pretences imaginable.
That this is the work of Satan, doth appear by unquestionable evidence. This was that evil Spirit which God sent between Abimelech, and the Men of Shechem, Judge. 9. 23. God permitted Satan (for the Punishment of them both) to raise Fears and Jealousies in the Heart of Abimelech, against the Men of Shechem, and in the Hearts of the Men of Shechem against Abimelech. They were mutually afraid of one another, and these Fears wrought so far, that they were (for the prevention of a supposed danger) engaged in Treacherous Conspiracies, to the real Ruin of them both. The evil Spirit that vexed Saul, 1 Sam. 16. 14. was nothing else but sudden and vehement fits of Terror, and inward fear which the Devil raised by the working up of his Melancholy. For we may observe these Fits were allayed by Music; and also we might see by his disposition out of his fits, and by his carriage in them, that inward fears were his tormentors: for 1 Sam. 18. 9. 'tis noted, that Saul eyed David, that is, his jealous fears began to work concerning David, of whom 'tis said expressly, ver. 12. that he was afraid because the Lord was with him; and when the evil Spirit came upon him, his heart was exercised with these fears, and accordingly he behaved himself when he cast the Javelin at David with a purpose to slay him. Upon any occasion, of trouble especially, the Devil was at hand to heighten his affrightment, insomuch that when the supposed Samuel told him of his Death, 1 Sam. 28. 20. he was afraid to such an height, that he fell straightway all along on the Earth and there was no strength in him.